Loving a King
by omegafire17
Summary: Iris always felt strongly for Noctis, but he never seemed to notice her, and it didn't help that he still wanted to see his childhood friend, Lunafreya. However, when events move apace, she'll find that things aren't as she thought they'd go. NoctisXIris, Rated T; semi-retelling of FFXV.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

 _Insomnia_

Mmh- here she is, having turned sixteen recently, but no one could celebrate properly... including herself.

"It's not fair" Iris whispered to herself, hands together - they'd been getting along fine enough, even with daemons about, but now it seems there's only darkness to look forward to. It began when news sources reported Lunafreya dead, something they tried not to believe at first glance, until the increasing evidence - and the covered funeral - made that impossible.

They didn't say how she died, exactly, but hinted it was some sort of illness she'd been concealing.

To say the news hit the country(s) - and them - hard, was an understatement; everyone knew that the Oracle's the only one who could heal people of the Starscourge, as well as the only one could slow it's tide. Now unless the Astrals immediately chose someone else to continue that work, no one could hope to be healed, and now it's free to spread across the world. Already their nights had been getting longer, as now the sun set at 7 PM and rose at 7 AM, instead of the usual time-frames. No one doubted it'd get worse, but nobody could agree on how much time they had... or when their world was inevitably shrouded in eternal darkness, exactly what it meant for everyone.

Except that daemons would swarm _everywhere_ , unless something was done.

And Noct... he'd been hit pretty hard, as she knew he would; it's not easy to lose a childhood friend, even if you haven't seen them in years...

Even today, months after the fact, while he might interact with them normally, there were times where his mind's elsewhere or the mention of Luna would just make him clam up. And not helping the matter was her feelings for him; of course she supported him, had comforted him in her own way like the guys, but her heart wanted to say/do so much more. Hell, she was even considering telling Noct of her crush (preferably when the time's right), assure him that she's just getting it off her chest, and then have things go back to normal. Though at the same time, Iris liked that they'd spent more time together - trying to support him through his grief at least had that benefit. Even when he felt like doing nothing special, Noct still had the grace to acknowledge her presence, her efforts, even if it was as simple as a whispered (or grumbled) "Thanks, Iris".

She appreciated it, even as every day she thought about telling him how she felt.

But today, it looks like Noct's recovery was gonna be tested a little; King Regis was sending him and the others to Altissia, as part of a negotiation tactic it seemed, with matters to discuss with First Secretary Camelia in person. At the same time, the Empire was going to 'meet' with the King, to speak on matters they wanted to discuss in person, and King Regis had been insistent on sending them- something seemed off about the situation, but Iris couldn't place what.

Now if only she could convince Gladdy to let her go with them - she didn't want to be in the city while the Empire was 'visiting'.

Or maybe she should sneak a ride to Cape Caem, and greet them there... heh, but that'd be pushing things quite a bit.

...

 _A little later_

Once she got downstairs, Iris took a moment to survey the mood.

Prompto seemed to be taking pictures of Insomnia's skyline, if for no other reason than he could- they all knew that sight, but he's definitely a photographer at heart. Gladdy seemed to have finished eating early, and was otherwise washing his plate, making her briefly wonder if he'd lost a bet on who's turn it was to do that. Noct and Ignis were both seated at the table, the former idly picking off his vegetables without batting an eye- Ignis was clearly sighing, just from his body language alone. She knew he's been trying for years, but Noct had a stubborn streak in him... as well as a goofy streak, and an impulsive streak, _and_ a proud streak where his fishing skill's concerned, among other things.

The thought made her smile.

Nimbly, she then jumped over the railing, easily landing upon the floor two feet below. "Morning guys" she called easily, strolling over. "Everyone all prepped for the journey?"

"Everything except meeting with the King" Prompto said easily, turning away from the skyline, glancing over the pics he took. "I for one can't wait."

"It will at least take another fifteen minutes; Prince Noctis and I are still eating. Now if only he could actually eat his vegetables."

Noct made a sound. "Sorry, my hand slipped" he said easily, prompting Ignis to make a sound. "Guess that's off the menu for today."

"Indeed, 'slipped'."

Her brother gave a deep chuckle, half-turning his head. "He thinks he can away with such bald-faced lies" Gladdy said, amused. "Guess he and I need a chat about that."

"Easy, big guy; it was a joke."

"A weak one."

"Guys, guys, I say we let Noct joke around" Prompto added, quite easily. "It makes things much more entertaining, and I quite like it."

Iris just smiled, shaking her head as the boys continued to talk, even as she made her way over to get some breakfast for herself. After that, it was getting to her brother's side: "Looks like Noct is doing better" she said in an undertone; Gladdy glanced at her. "I hope he does well being away from home, even as you guys protect him. Almost makes me wish I was tagging along."

"Well, we'll make sure he does. It's our job" Gladdy said easily, if hushed. "But what makes you want to go, Iris? Besides the sightseeing and your crush, I mean."

Mmh- always straight to the point.

"It's not about those, Gladdy" Iris breathed, if not offended. "I just want to get out of the city for awhile. I don't want to be around when Nifhelm's 'visiting'..."

His brow furrowed then, looking at her intently. "You think they're up to no good?"

"Yeah. I don't know what, but I feel like it'd be safer to be away."

Gladdy made a small scoff. "And following us is any safer?" he 'questioned', bemused. "Last I checked, even if the car trip goes well, we're likely gonna need to spend several nights camping to avoid daemons. And you can't count out stray attacks from wildlife either... and soldiers could still come across us, while at least here you're safe behind The Wall."

Iris looked at him. "I should still be part of this, Gladdy" she said, determined; he stilled slightly. "It's our family's duty to protect the royal line. The Kingsglaive can protect the King, while you and I help protect Noct. I'm not afraid of fighting, especially not with you helping guard me, or the others guys as well; I can handle myself enough not to be a burden for your little harmless adventuring."

He was silent for a count of three. "I take by that tone, that even if I said no, you'd follow us anyway?" Gladdy asked, even lower - as usual, his intensity was piercing.

Having become well-used to it, she didn't back down, simply nodding-

-the corner of his lip curved in approval. "Sometimes you're as stubborn as Noct, Iris" he said, half-knowing, arms crossed now. "But it's not up to me; you'll have to ask the King. And if _he_ says no-"

"-then I'd really be in trouble if I left" Iris finished for him, slightly mischievous; he chuckled.

During that time, she glanced behind her, seeing Prompto chatting excitedly with Noct over the pictures he'd be taking of outside-the-city. Noct himself wasn't as excited, but he humored his friend, even as Ignis noted they'd have plenty of opportunities to take in the sights once on the road.

* * *

 _Citadel_

Needless to say, she and all the guys were _quite_ surprised by King Regis's ruling.

She stood there kinda-at-attention like the guys, a little nervous not just having made her request (as she knew he could say no), but at the way he continued to regard her. At first he'd been surprised, but then his expression took on this quality she couldn't quite place: it almost seemed sad, or maybe as if his mind was elsewhere... or maybe she'd just been overthinking it.

Hopefully she was.

"Very well" King Regis finally spoke; they all jolted a bit, even as he continued to regard her. "You shall accompany my son on his trip to Altissia, Iris. I trust that you will carry yourself with appropriate regard."

A bit breathless, she was a hair slow in replying, but finally managed to bow.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty" Iris assured, feeling absolutely ecstatic inside! "I promise that I'll do my best, no matter what."

A small nod, before Regis turned his gaze onto her brother. "I see the young miss is already stepping up to her role, Gladiolus" he continued, with Gladdy giving a short bow. "Your father would no doubt be very pleased of you both."

A small quirk of his lip. "Yes, your Majesty" Gladdy spoke. "Iris has always had a strong will, and I couldn't be prouder."

Though she didn't say anything, Iris did smile.

"It will be needed" King Regis answered, before looking at them all. "I expect that you will succeed in your mission."

With barely a glance at each other, everyone gave off a nod, and/or an affirmative sound.

"Then go now, all of you" he continued, authoritative now. "The decreed hour has come. Set forth with my blessing, Prince Noctis."

Standing just ahead of them, Noct bowed himself. "Thank you, Your Majesty" he spoke, with a slight inflection on the end.

And judging by King Regis' 'flicker', he'd caught it too, yet kept his composure. "Take your leave, and go now in the grace of the gods."

Noct straightened then, giving a little nod. "Right" he said simply, before turning to leave-

-which needless to say, was a bit of a breach in protocol. Thankfully though, when they turned and hurriedly gave King Regis a farewell bow, the latter seemed more fond than anything over his son's abrupt exit, rather than upset.

Once outside:

"Well, princes will be princes" Prompto said to them, in a 'I know, right?' tone; Iris simply shrugged, smiling as she strolled with them, if thinking of their little adventure. So many places to see, so much to experience, though probably having a little danger to face if things went wrong... but she can handle herself.

Meanwhile: "So much for royal protocol" Ignis observed, deadpan as usual.

"Well, not like you had to deliver a formal address" Gladdy spoke to Noct, who brushed that off without even looking.

"Your Highness!"

Noct turned around first, even as they did so several steps below, seeing Drautos having called and King Regis moving beside him. "What now?" he breathed, a bit dour, but moving over to speak with his father - the rest of them were left glancing at each other, wondering what this was about.

"I fear I have left too much unsaid. You place a great burden on those who would bear with you."

"Heh, you're one to talk."

King Regis didn't answer, but addressed them then. "I ask not that you guide my wayward son" he said, Noct glancing at his father. "Merely that you stay by his side."

Ignis bowed first, "Of course, your Grace." - followed by Gladdy, "We'll see the prince to Altissia if it's the last thing we do." - and Prompto's hasty add-on, "Yeah, what they said." That just left her, so of course she gave a little bow, "We'll see it done, sir. You can count on us."

Noct made a sound, almost as if his father were embarrassing him a little.

"Hate to break this up, but Cor's got the motor running" he said, before he called over. "Drautos! He's in your hands."

"And another thing" King Regis added, leaving Noct to turn around again. "I know that you're grieving-"

Iris had to stifle a sound, even as the others shifted; Noct grew more still/guarded.

"-but please, no matter what, try to keep moving forward my son. Lunafreya would have wished that of you."

Seconds passed before any response was made.

"I know" Noct breathed, a bit short; he made a quick, somewhat-practiced bow. "And the same of you, Your Majesty. Manners must still be observed around our esteemed guests from Niflheim."

By that point, Gladdy and the others motioned for them to go on to Cor, as they're basically intruding at this point. Still, Iris felt a bit sad as she slowly followed, as Noct was avoiding the subject entirely right now... he seemed to be fine _overall_ , but even mentioning Lunafreya was still a bit of a sore spot.

Mmh...

Silently, without looking, Gladdy touched her shoulder-

-she appreciated it.

* * *

 _Some time later_

And then of course, the Regalia just _had_ to sputter and stall before they got to Hammerhead- some beginning to a journey, right?

Gladdy grunted, yet another car passing them by. "I think we can forget about hitching our way there" he noted, a bit dour. "Thought people were friendly outside the city."

Even Ignis seemed a bit exasperated, adjusting his glasses. "You can only go so far on the kindness of strangers."

"Eh, looks like we're just gonna have to get and push her all the way."

"Indeed." Ignis then looked at her, arm extended with his phone in hand. "Iris, think you can man the steering wheel, and try calling ahead?"

Iris took it from him, nodding as she began to properly sit in the driver's seat.

"Sure, as it's not like I'm technically driving" she said, sincere as she looked between them. "Still, the least I could do is help you guys push, if one of you really need a break" she added, knowingly.

From behind the car came a quick laugh. "Is your brother even gonna allow that?" Noct asked, slightly teasing- in the time since their meeting with King Regis, he seemed to have 'recovered'. "We all know how overprotective he is."

"Funny, now get off your ass, Noct" Gladdy rumbled, "Prompto, get up. We're pushing."

"I've already pushed myself... to the brink of death" Prompto 'wheezed', rather overdramatic- as she'd come to learn, they were all intentional examples meant to lighten things up (and well, he generally succeeds). Then came the sound of a slight kick, followed by Prompto's quick 'Ow' and getting up, Ignis saying that's probably enough. "Ah, I thought the car was supposed to move _us_."

"That would be nice" Noct agreed just behind her/to her left, exasperated.

"Can it. Ready, steady, push!"

With much grunting, straining, and no doubt internal cursing, the Regalia lurched forward at a 'steady' pace - probably only three miles an hour, max, but Iris kept the car steady along the road, just steering her straight down the middle. Meanwhile though, the area's signal seemed to be intentionally making things difficult for them; getting nothing thus far across multiple call attempts.

"Un. Believable."

"Not exactly a fairytale beginning, huh, Prince Noctis?"

"We let ourselves get carried away, and now we're pushing. What luck."

"Look, these things happen!"

Iris gave a little smile, wishing she could help them out, even if it would mean her muscles would be sore for hours. "Common folk or royalty, some problems are universal" she said, a bit knowing. "If you'd like, you can rail against it."

"Already am railing inside, Iris" came from Prompto, straining. "Man, the Regalia is heavy!"

"Hey, Gladio, do me a favor: push this thing by yourself" Noct demanded.

Oooo, that's kinda _asking_ her brother to get riled up; Iris sheepishly smirked, thinking it's a good thing Noct can get away with it.

Gladdy was still predictably annoyed: "All by myself?" he demanded as well.

Prompto seemed like he's considering the idea, or that was his tone.

"He won't even notice if we just let go" he said, almost enticing-

"Prompto, don't even think about it."

-"Save some breath for pushing" Ignis said, already exasperated by the effort, and their comments weren't helping. "We'll need it."

"Definitely. Still, my hands are killing me."

"Would you rather I killed you with mine?" Gladdy warned.

"Easy there, big guy."

"Iris, any luck?" Noct quickly asked of her, still straining.

"Sadly, no" Iris answered, still finding the phone giving her 'no signal', which made her sigh. "For some reason, we're just not getting reception out here."

And that, plus a number of other lines about how big the world is, especially compared to a map's taken-for-granted scale, was how they (literally) inched they way toward Hammerhead. Much to her annoyance, the guys never did offer for her to switch places with one of them - not because they didn't doubt her strength, she's sure, but because of their macho instincts pushing each other to their limits.

You'd swear that they _liked_ pushing cars a whole mile, despite all the grunting/complaining/cursing they did while doing it.

...

They stopped once, about halfway between where they were and Hammerhead, mostly so the guys could ease their muscles and re-hydrate. Still sitting upfront in the driver's seat, she saw another car pass them by without even a second glance, leaving her to let out an unimpressed breath, before she heard Noct grunt in surprise.

"What? Come on... I can't be out already."

After a quick look, Iris saw that he's referring to his empty water bottle, which he nearly threw away out of frustration; the other guys' reactions varied between sympathy and amusement, at least overall. After a moment, she jolted and quickly leaned toward the back seat, getting her bag - barely a second later, and she found what she was looking for, and she secretly grinned.

"Here you go, Noct."

Surprised, he tilted his head up toward her- Iris just held her unopened water bottle out toward him, smiling.

"Go on; take mine. It's clean and all that" she assured. "I can always buy another one if need be."

Noct blinked once, then exhaled in relief as he took it, quickly unscrewing the cap. "I really owe you one, Iris" he said, shortly before he began guzzling down a third of it- it was kinda weird to watch, but she figured that in his position, it's understandable.

"It's just bottled water, Noct."

He chuckled in answer. "Not this time; it's more of a miracle" he breathed, sitting against the Regalia's side. "Still, seriously uh... thanks. Every time you've been there to- to help me out, even if I didn't ask."

Hearing him stumble over the words, Iris just smiled; it's rare that he expressed gratitude, or was rather open with himself outside of things like fishing. It's kinda silly, and adorkable, that he can handle talking to anyone as a friend, but when it came to expressing his own feelings, he's almost emotionally stunted.

Hehe, oh Noct.

"It was the least I could do" Iris admitted, gentle.

This time Noct didn't answer - though it 'helped' that he was soon roped into pushing again - but even his silence was enough for her.

* * *

 **Just to be clear, Luna's illness is the same as it was in-game: her 'communing-with-the-Astrals' burden that Ravus confronted her over, among other things. So in this semi re-telling, where the Empire didn't offer the trap-engagement exactly when they did, Luna would obviously continue setting up the pacts with the Astrals so that Noctis would have an easier time, when his own fate inevitably came knocking. And well, it had to have a limit somewhere... so yeah, that's why she died beforehand, rather than at Altissia.**

 **^A shame, as I certainly don't hate her, and I find her character comparable to ToX's Milla Maxwell, who I quite like.**

 **But admittedly, I found Iris' crush on Noct to be considerably cuter, and this resulted (with the small age difference taking advantage of the extra time). This chapter is basically just set-up, with the real development of this fic starting next chapter, even as events continue to happen.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

Iris had heard the stories about Cid, who according to their family, had been good friends with King Regis himself- he was supposed to be one of the best mechanics of several generations. He certainly looked his age now, but hadn't lost any fire, and she didn't think that applied to his skills either - still, because of his age, now the garage was in the hands of his capable granddaughter, Cindy.

Who was definitely assured of showing off her body, to say the least.

Still, despite this, Cid had definitely been the grumpy type, or "ornery" as Cindy had affectionately said. Between making his opinion of Noct known point-blank (she'd been a little offended), and overcharging the repair bill to "teach them boys a lesson", Iris just hoped she never had to cross him. On the other hand, Cindy seemed an interesting woman who was dedicated to her work: she fixed the Regalia in hours while they'd gone on those hunts, including that nasty dualhorn encounter. She was definitely a sweet person, but Iris noticed something curious: when it came to stares/glances at her body (from an obviously-smitten Prompto, and a few 'side-glances' from Gladdy, among others), Cindy seemed to notice these looks, but didn't really care one way or the other... or something like that.

Also, part of her wondered if she should say anything to Prompto, considering he might be a bit in over his head-

-hehehe, but then again, it isn't her place to interfere.

Getting a picture of themselves with the Regalia was pretty fun though, with Prompto taking a quick moment to show Cindy how to do so with his camera:

"Alright, got it" Cindy said easily, holding a hand now. "Now, ya'll be ready?"

Gladdy and Ignis were standing on either side of the Regalia, Noct was sitting just in front/to her right, and Prompto struck a pose to Noct's left. Sitting on the Regalia's hood in-between Noct and Prompto, Iris just smiled from her spot, before quickly/playfully put her hands on Noct's head- he'd barely managed to contain his surprise long enough for the photo to go off.

And naturally, he stood up in a bit of a hurry, looking at her strangely.

"What was that about?" he'd asked, nonplussed.

Iris just giggled, getting off the Regalia. "Making the picture interesting, that's all" she said with ease.

Noct gained a small exasperated look, for a moment. "I think it made me give a weird face" he 'retorted', arms crossed and (slightly) smirking. "If Prompto demands another take, don't be surprised."

"Noted."

...

Getting to Galdin Quay was easy after that, but Iris had still been excited, seeing how far the ocean stretched ahead of them; it's a beautiful sight, with Noct even seeming to subtly agree. It was even better up-close, like that photo op Prompto had them take up on a hill near the road - as they made their way toward the restaurant itself, Iris was just thinking how after a boat ride, they'd be in Altissia.

Well, least it was well-timed; it'd just begin to get dark out.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck."

Surprised, the five of them stopped... just ahead of them, some mysterious stranger walked toward them; he looked middle-aged, with his hair a kind of red-violent. Noct seemed to regard the guy as a creep from the get-go, she could tell by his tone.

"Are we?"

The stranger briefly gestured behind him, in the direction of the docks. "The boats bring you here" he said smoothly, beginning to turn around for a bit. "However, they'll not take you forth."

Gladdy stepped forward, partially putting himself in front of her and near Noct, carefully on-guard. "And what's your story?" he asked, suspicious as well; in fact, everyone was getting the same vibe, her included.

They didn't know who this guy was, but he's definitely more than he appeared to be...

"I'm an impatient traveler, ready to turn ship" the stranger non-answered, moving past them with exaggerated movements - Iris quickly stepped out of his way, even before he got close. "The ceasefire's getting us nowhere."

Then suddenly the man turned, flipping something at Noct- he flinched, and Iris would've caught it, but she was too far over to do so in time. Gladdy was faster (and closer), catching it with no problem; it turned out to be a coin of some sort.

"What's this? Some sort of souvenir?" he asked, no less suspicious.

The stranger raised a hand briefly. "Consider it your allowance."

"Yeah, and who's _allowing_ us?"

He just shrugged. "A man of no consequence" he merely said, lingering only a moment before turning and leaving - only once he was a good distance away did they start to relax.

"Yeah, right" Noct breathed, entirely unconvinced-

-Iris felt the same - that guy _seriously_ gave her the creeps, more than he had a right to; it's as if he _oozed_ it or something.

"No consequence? In a pig's eye" she said out loud, shuddering - in fact, she inwardly thought he's an ass for being so patronizing.

"So uh, was he telling the truth?" Prompto asked, a bit nervous but determined. "Because if he is, I really dread the next time we see him."

"Hopefully there _won't_ be a next time, but I wonder" Ignis mused, pushing up his glasses. "Still, you and I had better check. If the boats are truly unavailable, we'll have to settle nearby."

Gladdy slowly nodded, if still staring in the direction of the stranger for a bit, the stranger's coin still in his hand. "If that's the case, I'll check out the local tipster" he said, glancing at them all. "Camping's a better experience, if one's available."

Noct didn't look like he shared her brother's love for camping, but shrugged as if he didn't mind either way- at least, before a thought struck him.

"What about you, Iris?" he asked, somewhat curious. "Would you mind camping, if Gladio can find us a place?"

After a moment, Iris held her hands behind her back and smiled, showing that she's all good now. "I certainly wouldn't mind the experience" she admitted, before getting a little sheepish. "I only worry about if it rains. Will the tent fit all five of us?"

Noct got awkward all of a sudden, as if she'd really surprised him.

"I'd- I'd rather not find out" he admitted, not looking at her for a bit; it was pretty cute, though she didn't say that out loud. "Me and the guys can fit by squeezing, but five of us?"

"Well, let's hope we don't have to find out" she playfully teased-

-and just then, he actually seemed flustered, if only for a second.

"R-Right" Noct breathed, turning away. "Um... I'll go with you, big guy. Come on."

After that, it wasn't long before the guys went onto their respective tasks - Gladdy, of course, couldn't help but give her a 'look' for what she'd said to Noct (who went on ahead). With no one but her brother nearby to see, Iris briefly stuck her tongue out a little, playful; he quipped 'Real mature' before moving to catch up with Noct.

Well, could he blame her? It's not every day she got to tease Noct like this, particularly after everything, and of course they were harmless verbal-only teases.

...

Ahh, Iris had missed how well Ignis could cook; he could open his own restaurant/diner with ease, she knew for a certainty. It was a joy that they'd just sat around the campfire, talking about the day's events - good and bad, and whether Dino was as sleazy as he looked - even as all around them, the anti-daemon runes gradually lit up, much like the heavy-duty lights around Galdin Quay. There had been times where she'd looked up at the night sky from home, but this was a different experience, what with the whole outdoor quality- it was pretty relaxing, and so free as well. Even as she began to half-doze, Iris smiled and was grateful for being able to experience this journey now, before her thoughts turned to a hope that one day, they could see some chocobos.

Still, sleep didn't come to her for awhile; Iris eventually made a sound, rubbing at her eyes.

What was up with her tonight? Gladdy was asleep of course, as were Prompto and Ignis and- huh?

Iris only just noticed Noct wasn't sleeping in his chair, and this caused her to sit up... after a minute, she spotted him standing near the beach's shoreline.

 _"But- but that's beyond the campsite's runes"_ she thought, if a bit fuzzy. _"A little dangerous for a late-night moment, isn't it?"_

Well, she can't very well leave him down there alone, could she?

Standing up and stretching first, Iris slowly made her way down there- he probably heard her coming, due to her feet shifting the sand, but she approached with gentle steps. By instinct, she also kept her senses open at all time - much like Noct's probably doing - for even the slightest disturbance or sound that signified the arrival of daemons.

Once she got close enough: "Couldn't sleep?"

"Just a little" Iris whispered, stepping up beside him. "You too?"

"Apparently" Noct breathed, hands in his pockets. "I was just- uh, I was thinking about... Luna."

Iris felt many emotions, not all of them good, yet she held her hands in front of her.

"No one blames you for grieving, Noct" she eventually whispered, "We all know you cared for her. Maybe even- even loved her."

At that, he rubbed the back of his head, mouth twisting. "I- I don't know, about that" he said, unsure and heavy. "I mean... she saved my life, back when we were kids. That was a big deal, and I promised her that I would support her as Oracle, and vice-versa... including destroying the Starscourge, as she wanted to do. Still, it all sounded so simple when we were kids..."

Then Noct slowly looked at her. "I always thought that if I never saw h..." he continued, quieter before trailing off; there were a _lot_ of undertones in his voice. "If I couldn't... I-I just had to fulfill that promise, if nothing else. But I didn't know how before, and now... I might not be able to keep it for her."

Despite some of her less-savory feelings, Iris did feel some measure of comfort; Noct was angsting about keeping his promise out of respect for Lunafreya. Of course he still felt sad about her death, about not ever being able to see her again, but it sounds like he's made peace with things (at least, even).

"I'm sure you'll find a way, Noct" Iris whispered, keeping her gaze out on the ocean now. "You'll keep your promise."

"I hope so."

"Still, if you don't mind... there's something I also want to say, Noct. To get it off my chest, like you just did."

Only a small shift of his body, apparently still looking at her. "What is it, Iris?"

Her heart was beating faster, knowing this was it; mmh. She knew what he's likely to say, and that they wouldn't be returned, but she's tired of keeping it from him.

"Gladdy often tells me that you're oblivious" Iris breathed; he made a slight sound. "And yet at the same time, at least to some degree... he says you're aware of those who try to flirt with you, those who have crushes on you."

He didn't move at all for a second.

Iris slowly lowered her head, one hand holding her other arm. "Including mine, if that's to be believed" she whispered, briefly shaky. "I've had one on you ever since we were kids, and I don't think that's likely to ever go away. I always wondered if you ever knew that..."

After several seconds, Noct moved, and disappeared from her peripheral vision- he'd moved behind her, but only took a couple of steps.

"Well I- I never knew what to say" he eventually said, quiet yet awkward; when Iris glanced over, he was mostly turned away from her. "Plus Gladio would've kicked my ass, if I so much as looked at you funny."

"...I don't think that's true, Noct."

A sound, and Noct slowly half-turned his head, seeming confused.

"I mean, we both know my brother" she said, letting out a breath, slightly glad that he'd at least _noticed_. "If he thought my crush was hopeless, pathetic, that it'd never happen- _anything_ like that, and he'd straight-out tell me to give it up. He'd probably even try to steer me toward other guys... but all this time, he hasn't done any of that. He even kinda supports it, though it's complicated."

No answer.

Iris pursed her lips a bit, slowly turning to face Noct- he had a furrowed brow, but he still looked like he's not sure exactly (about where this is going, or what to say). "But, maybe you don't think of me that way" she admitted, hands together and heart beating faster. "I mean, I'm the little sister of one of your best friends. But I just wanted to make sure you knew, after all this time."

He visibly struggled to think, trying to find an answer.

"Uh... um, s-so... what now, then?" Noct managed to ask, if still awkward and inwardly-confused.

Mmh- Iris felt briefly tempted, if only because he hadn't said 'it can't happen'.

"I suppose that's up to you, Noct" Iris whispered, faint - she didn't directly look at him, but neither did she turn away. "Gladdy isn't nearly as against 'us' as you might think. But, even though I've told you how I feel, I'm not expecting anything to change between us. I still just want us to hang out and have fun, like we've been doing; that's all. If you never thought of me that way, it's... it's fine. Nothing will change, and will be just like before."

Just then, with an effort, she turned and walked back to the campsite - she wouldn't be surprised if Noct watched her the entire time, simply because she'd given him a lot to think about. It didn't give her any comfort, but she did feel a weight off her chest at having told him... and it helped that she hadn't even tried to expect anything, or think about if he did accept her feelings.

And now, only time would tell... yet even if things turned slightly awkward for a time, she'd do her best.

...

Noctis felt he should've said something more, not let her walk away- but he just couldn't find the right words.

He hadn't lied; he _had_ noticed Iris's crush sometimes - her words had always seemed different, when she talked to him - but thanks to her brother, he was pretty sure Iris was off-limits to _anybody_ , but especially someone who was also his friend/prince. Added to that, he always did think that there's still a possibility of seeing Luna again one day, and that when it did, he wanted to see how he felt about her then, and vice-versa. Did he like her because he actually _does_ like her, just because she saved his life, or was just a strong childhood bond in general? Because of this gnawing itch to know the truth, he hadn't wanted to start liking anyone else, only to find out later Luna had felt strongly about him... he'd just wanted to make sure first, so he kept some distance (Iris included). Hearing the fact that Luna was confirmed dead... it hit him hard, as now all that he had left of her were memories, mostly from when they met as kids, and he'd never find out the answer.

While all this time, Iris had been there for him as much as the guys, and he did care for her- that much couldn't be denied.

 _"But... but if Iris is telling the truth, about Gladio, then- but is she?"_ Noctis thought slowly, making a sound to himself. _"No, no she wouldn't lie just to make me... like her, so she- she must be..."_

And telling him couldn't have been easy either; he knew _that much_ , at least.

Things slowly came to mind, making him glance back at the campsite, though he couldn't make out Iris's form from the others this far away.

"Maybe... maybe I... *sigh*"

Gah, when the hell did this all become so complicated?

One thing's certain though: if he's never gonna find out the answer, regarding Luna, then that's that now... and so is his previous way of going about things. Slowly, Noctis turned back, walking toward the campsite- at the very least, Iris intended to act normal around him, because she- she believed he didn't feel that way about her.

Normal... he can work with that, and just see what happens overtime.

* * *

 _Galdin Quay_

 _The next (next) morning_

After their camping trip, they'd made sure to go back to Galdin Quay, completing their business with Dino yet it would still take time for him to pull his strings. So, in order to kill some time, they'd take up some hunts and miscellaneous quests in the meantime - this included more than a few giant crabs in the former, which were hard to kick with her feet, literally and sorta-figuratively.

Still, courtesy of Dino, they got to sleep in luxury that night-

-and even now were enjoying it for a little longer, having just woken up, including Noct the eternal sleepyhead (hehe).

"Heya, morning" Prompto greeted, which Noct nodded to.

"Where's Specs?" he asked, curious, seeing that he's the only one missing.

"He should be back any minute now" Iris spoke then, normal as could be- when Noct looked at her, there were definite flickers in his eyes as he paused, much like many other little moments from yesterday. She didn't look away, but did manage a little smile and slight shrug, still showing what she'd said: things are normal between them, even with what she'd told him.

"Well, he'd still better hurry" Gladdy said, leaning against a wall.

"Mmh, yeah."

Noct seemed to glance at her for a little longer, before he looked away, choosing to gaze onto the patio for awhile. Part of her wanted to say something, but with all the guys (save Ignis) present, that didn't seem likely- so instead Iris got up from the chair, going toward her brother.

Leaning against the wall was no problem, but it was only seconds before he spoke in a low tone:

"I saw that, Iris. You told him."

Iris took in a breath, if un-surprised that he'd figured it out.

"Yeah I did, Gladdy" she whispered. "That I have a crush, that you _probably_ wouldn't kick his ass if he looked at me funny, but the answer's up to him. But until anything changes, if at all, I'll act the exact same as always. Nothing more, or less... and there was no funny business either" she finished, with a low sisterly-pointed tone at the end.

A little grunt, whereupon Gladdy 'nudged' her shoulder with his elbow. "If you left it up to him, you're probably gonna be waiting a long time."

"I'm not waiting" Iris breathed, steady. "I'm not expecting anything, except to continue like normal. If he gives me a final answer, I'll react as appropriate - and if he doesn't, things continue like normal."

"...well, that's better."

Just then, the door opened and Ignis entered-

-but it wasn't long before his demeanor drew their attention, beyond the initial reaction.

"What's that look for?" Noct asked of him, confused.

Gladdy soon had his hand out for the news, and Ignis gave it over, "It's in all the papers" he spoke, subdued. A bit worried now, Iris moved closer, head tilted so that she could read along with Gladdy... but as she did, her brother's expression soon furrowed with shock, and she wasn't much better...

Wha- but that- that couldn't be!

"What is?"

Prompto soon moved over, Gladdy unconsciously adjusting the paper so that he could see, since she was nearby. He spoke the words that they couldn't: "'Insomnia... falls?'"

"What!? This your idea of a joke!?"

"I need you to calm down so I can explain" Ignis said, trying to defuse him-

-Noct wasn't having it: "I'm as calm as I'm gonna get!"

"There was an attack" Ignis continued then, still subdued. "The imperial army has taken the Crown City."

"'As treaty room tempers flared, blasts lit the night sky'" Gladdy spoke, voice tighter, "'When the smoke about the Citadel was cleared, the king was found... dead'."

"No" Iris whispered, hands tight to her chest. "No... this can't be!"

"We had no way of knowing."

Noct, still on the verge of exploding, turned on Ignis. "What? Knowing what?" he demanded.

"That that while the empire entreated for peace, their real intentions-"

"But the terms!"

"I know" Ignis spoke, tighter too. "That was what was stated. Yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?"

Noct just grunted, hands balling into fists. "Lies" he gasped out, helplessly angry and anguished.

"...if only" Prompto breathed in the room's corner, uncharacteristically quiet.

Gladdy grunted, mouth set. "What else do we know?" he asked of Ignis, who merely shook his head. "Then the only way we can be sure, is to see it with our own eyes."

Prompto turned around then, breath a bit heavy. "Then we go back to Insomnia" he said, determined.

"It might not be safe for us there" Ignis tried to say-

-"It might not be safe for us _here_ " Prompto argued back.

"He's right, guys" Iris breathed, shaky, but she held her hands together (tightly). "And so is Gladdy; we have to see this."

A little silence.

"Guys" Gladdy spoke, hand on her shoulder now. "Turn back?"

Everyone looked at Noct, even as his gaze was on some point of the floor. "...yeah" he spoke, heavy. "We're going."

* * *

 **Even with Iris along for a time, things would be similar for the most part - but this time around, we actually have a beginning to NoctisXIris. Nothing outright at the start for hopefully-obvious reasons, yet the story will continue.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

The trip to the Insomnian border was depressing, and it only got worse from there...

It wasn't enough that all anyone could talk about was the empire, how they'd lied and about the imperial dreadnoughts she'd spotted flying over them. Finding a checkpoint manned by those robot MT's demanded they find another way, but a few were still found up the side hill path - Noct had gone to town, but they tore through them as well: Prompto head-shot one right off the bat (plus others), Ignis and Gladdy drew the others away from Noct, and she made sure to rip another one's head off it's shoulders, among other things.

Hey, it's life-or-death; gotta protect yourself well.

Still, she'd signed up with the guys' trip to hang-out, maybe have a little 'harmless' adventuring together along the way- not _this_. Handling foot-soldiers was one thing, but the idea of having to face their mechs, potentially an army's worth of the empire's forces, gave her pause.

Anyway, once they got up the hill, finding themselves upon an overlook, they had only a minute to take in the 'view' - while the bridge looked intact, and most of the city was still obscured by distance, smoke unmistakably rose from dozens of locations. Then suddenly they had signal, as Prompto's phone began to speak: _"As to ceasefire discussions between the two nations, all provisional terms have been suspended in light of recent developments."_

They all heard, but for the most part, they could still only look at the city... just trying to register this horror.

 _"Moreover, in the light of King Regis's death, we've now received word that Crown Prince Noctis has also been pronounced dead."_

Prompto made a sound, as if to turn it off, at least until Gladdy barked 'Keep it on'-

-but Noct's emotions were stretched to his limit. "Don't bother!" he yelled, anguished.

Iris wanted to say something, _anything_ to him, but what could she? First Lunafreya, now their home city and maybe even his father? More questions kept going through her head, wondering how this had happened - not that the empire had done this, but what had become of the Kingsglaive, and the other Crownsguard? And among them, what had happened to- to dad... even as she thought, still in anguish, more imperial ships flew above their heads. They were close enough for the wind to wash over them, among the rain that had already soaked their clothes/hair... she didn't even realize that she was crying.

"Hello? Cor?" Noct spoke, sounding a bit helpless-

-mmh? Iris slowly looked over, seeing that he was holding his phone up to his ear.

"The hell's going on? - Outside the city, with no way back in. - Gah, 'makes sense'? Are you serious? What about _any of this_ makes sense!? The news just told me I'm dead, along with my father!"

A small pause, then Noct gasped, near-instantly turning toward the city again. A long time passed before he said 'Right', completely listless, and then his hand dropped from near his ear, phone still in hand.

Ignis slowly moved closer, as they all did to a degree. "What did the marshal have to say?" he asked, hesitant.

Noct's tone was that he's elsewhere, only half-listening. "He said... to meet him in Hammerhead" he breathed, barely above a whisper.

Gladdy stepped closer to her, though his gaze was still on Noct. "And the King?"

He didn't answer- exactly what they _didn't_ want to hear.

It's all they could do to look at the city again, their home, and try to comprehend why this had happened. Iris didn't resist when Gladio slowly pulled her close to his side, and she rested against him without looking.

"King Regis" she whispered, shaky. "And dad..."

Her brother said nothing, but his grip tightened - she knew he wouldn't (audibly) angst over it, or cry, but he still felt the pain.

"Gladdy, what now?"

A moment passed. "What we can, Iris" he spoke, more subdued; when she glanced up, he motioned in Noct's direction. "No matter where it takes us, or what it puts us through."

What he didn't say, but she thought was implied, is that now he's _really_ glad that she'd tagged along- she couldn't disagree for the life of her.

...

Learning that the King saw this coming from Cid didn't improve their moods... in fact, Iris remembered the way he'd looked at her, when considering her request. It was a surprise, because King Regis had certainly shown that, but now his decision to let her go with them suddenly looked a whole lot different- if he'd known about Niflheim's intentions the whole time, even just in general, no wonder he'd been so quick to agree to her request.

Then finally catching up with Cor made things take an unexpected turn.

Soon as they arrived at the Tomb of the Wise, they immediately found themselves before said tomb: the image of a past King carved into a likeness, his weapon included - Cor stood behind it, grim.

"At last, Your Highness" he spoke, right to the point.

"...yeah, wanna tell me what I'm here for?"

Cor passed his hand over the tomb, particularly the sword as he spoke: "The power of kings, passed from the old to the new through the bonding of souls" he said, both hands now raised. "One such soul lies before you. To claim your forebears' power is your birthright and duty as King."

Iris didn't see the others' reactions, but she shifted- Noct was... that's right: with his father's d-death, he was their King now. That'd completely slipped her mind - but, as much as she'd might've liked to call him that, something in her heart told he wouldn't like it, not right now.

Noct essentially proved that, with a sullen "My duty as king of what?"

It was impossible to miss the others' reactions, and even she moved a little, seeing how hard he's taking all of this-

-Cor seemed to as well, but his expression remained grim. "Now is not the time to question your calling" he said, firm. "A king is sworn to protect his people."

"And yet he chose to protect only one prince" Noct spoke, sullenness becoming replaced with growing anguish, still bottled up. "Was that his calling? Forsake the masses to protect his own son?"

"How long will you remain the protected?" Cor demanded. "The King entrusted you with the role of protector."

"'Entrusted' it to me? Then why didn't he _tell me_ that!? Why did he stand there _smiling_ as I left!? Why...!"

No one said anything, but Iris felt his anguish tear at her own heart, and she had to hold back tears.

"...why did he lie to me?" Noct whispered, shaking, partly resting upon the tomb.

After a few moments, Cor let out a sigh. "That day, he didn't want you to remember him as your king" he spoke, still firm but with sympathy. "In what time you had left, he wanted to be your father. He always had faith in you, that when the time came, you would ascend for the sake of your people."

Noct slowly rose, and Iris thought she saw un-shed tears in his eyes, furthering her internal reactions.

"Guess he left me no choice" he breathed, with a bit of a rasp... then he held his hand out-

-the reaction was immediate: the sword turned a blinding, ethereal white, so much that they briefly had to cover their eyes. The sword then passed through the stonework like it didn't exist, floating above them with a shimmering, transcendent tune, leaving many of them looking at it with a little wonder. Suddenly it flew at Noct, point-first - rather than impale him, it instead seemed to fuse with him, leaving him with the same sword floating in a wide circle, with room for many others. The thought was one of the few good ones she'd had all day, as despite how sudden this all was, it was really pretty to look at.

And if it made Noct stronger, he'd need it.

"The power of kings goes with you, Your Majesty" Cor spoke with weight. "Yet know this: that's not the only power your forebears left you. Your journey's just begun. Another tomb lies close by, and I know of a third in the Balouve Mines, between Hammerhead and Galdin Quay. I suggest you heard for the nearby one first. There are other tombs scattered across the land, all on dangerous ground."

"Yeah... and how many such 'powers' are there?"

Cor moved around the tomb, heading for the entrance, Noct beginning to follow. "There are thirteen known Royal Arms, each enshrined in a royal tomb, though we know the location of only a few. I've enlisted the help of the Hunters, to search the land for others - yet for the time being, I'll go with you. Not only to help, but to get a measure of your strength."

Noct said something else, while for the moment, the rest of them were looking after Cor and Noct- Iris worried for him, but hoped his venting there had helped. And on a lesser note, she's glad Gladdy hadn't said anything, as much as he might've wanted to - no matter how much he disliked complaining, in some cases it was justified.

As after all, they're only human.

Prompto choose then to make a comment. "We get to hang out with the Cor" he said with some excitement; not exactly natural, but clearly trying anyway. "Cor the Immortal. How awesome is that?"

Her brother gave off a grunt. "It's awesome, but hardly the time to lighten things up" he said after a moment-

-Iris pushed his arm. "Don't listen to him, Prompto" she assured, with a 'thanks' look. "We uh, kinda need more of that today. It really helps take the edge off."

"Yes, I daresay Iris is correct" Ignis mused faintly, beginning to follow after Noct and Cor. "Even with misplaced timing, a little goes a long way in these circumstances."

"Then I'll keep on saying awesome and/or funny stuff" Prompto said earnestly, if pausing to look at her in appreciation, mouthing 'Thanks Iris'.

"Just vary the subjects a bit, please."

Gladdy gave her a small look, but breathed out as he knowingly shook his head, following after Ignis and Prompto- she gave a brief smile, beginning to follow herself after a glance at the prior King's image. Her thoughts were still on the Royal Arm process, feeling that in any other time, any other situation, she might've briefly felt jealous that only Noct got to wield such cool powers, even if that's how it worked.

* * *

As luck would have it, they did indeed get to have Cor through both dungeons he mentioned- while they fought well, his power was truly awesome. He did say that he couldn't stay very long, and when they asked why, explained that he preferably had to be gone after tonight to check on Niflheim's movements.

Thus the plan was start with Keycatrich Trench, judge how much sun they had left afterward, then go to the Balouve Mines either tonight or tomorrow.

Still, boy were things interesting, starting with the small army and the magitek armor camped near Keycatrich Trench - that much was manageable thanks to Cor while she focused on the soldiers whenever possible; ripping their heads off really worked well on them. Then inside the dungeon, these Goblin daemons literally played with them the whole time, like they were in a horror movie or something, even if they were comparatively weak daemons. And it'd nearly led to an embarrassing moment for her, as Noct has used some ice magic there, and she'd unintentionally been on the edge of the blast radius one time. Not only _really_ cold, but the driving wind had almost threatened her modesty there- luckily no one had noticed, so she was good.

Still, at the end of Keycatrich Trench, they'd found another door leading to another tomb - this time it was an axe, but the process had been the exact same. Again, Iris briefly entertained a little jealous thought of sorts, thinking it'd be nice if they could all have powers like that, but it was only for a moment anyway.

And it helped her from dwelling on today's events too...

"How does it feel, Noct?" she asked, standing at his side. "It looks pretty cool from this side."

There was a split-second he spent looking at her, as if trying to place something, then it passed. "Hmm... guess I've got some tricks up my sleeve" he mused, in that unique way he did - still affected by current events, if you looked closely, but like Prompto was trying to continue forward.

She thought he'd always had tricks up his sleeve, but now he's getting even better.

"Lucky you, Noct" Iris said, slightly mild- she would've said more, but everyone else was around.

Noct seemed to become aware of this too, as he just shrugged. "Yeah sure, 'lucky'" he said, moving back the way they came. "Or more like sharp."

"How is it 'sharp'?"

"Well, since you asked-"

...

Then there was the Balouve Mines, which they'd just barely gotten to before total night fell - and because the inside was infested with daemons anyway, all low-level from reports, the guys had decided 'why not?'.

Iris certainly hadn't minded if it meant finding another royal arm, and glad the daemons were low-level; a few hours loss of sleep could be adjusted to.

But despite that fact, the whole daemons messing-with-them routine was five times as worse here than it was in Keycatrich Trench; those Goblins did their level-best to give them heart-attacks. They weren't any stronger than the others though, except for that nasty surprise at the depths: what Cor called an Aramusha, a high-level daemon. At first he'd recommended them to retreat, the thing slowly making it's way toward them, even though they were one full level above it's position... right until Ignis had determined it's vulnerable to poison. Then Noct had quickly said to give him a minute, and so they'd had roles to fulfill: Cor and Gladdy would draw the thing's attention (as Gladdy had enough strength to block it's attacks, trusting them to bail him out if something went wrong, and Cor had the power to actually combat it), and she/Prompto/Ignis to keep the lesser Goblins off Noct.

That she did without issue; maybe she wasn't as strong as Gladdy, but she could easily kick these daemons in the face, hard. The only 'issue' was having to hold her breath whenever Prompto tried out that Bioblaster thing he'd found earlier today; didn't want herself getting poisoned, thank you.

By the time they finished, Noct had as well: "Gladio, Cor, get out of there!"

Gladdy got Cor out of there with a leg up, but pulling her brother up quickly took some effort, which Ignis helped him Cor with.

The Aramusha still tried to climb up-

-even still, she was right there: "Not so fast!" she called, kicking the thing in the face, hard enough that it hissed as it fell. Then she quickly backed away, eyes averted... then next thing the creature knew, Prompto had shot a 'Starshell' into it's face, and that made it hastily back away from it/the upper levels.

Then, just as they were scrambling away, Noct threw his magic sphere at the thing; it appeared to take little damage from the lightning strikes themselves, but the hissing poison showed that it'd done his job. After that, it was a 'battle' of attrition via magic casts, with them far out of the blast radius... not exactly a legend to write home about, but sometimes you gotta improvise.

Still, she wondered about Noct's use of magic... she knew Gladdy had trained him in a lot of physical combat, but did he get any in magic at all? Or, was that really one of the preferred styles?

Hmm; hard to tell right now.

But anyway, this royal tomb took some finding after the daemon died, since there were no obvious routes to move onward; just back the way they came. Until:

"Over here!" Iris called over, waving. "There's a crack in the wall, and it seems to lead to a small passage. I'm gonna check it out."

Her brother gave her the raised eyebrow. "By yourself?"

"Yes, and don't worry Gladdy. I'll keep an eye out."

Noct then stepped forward. "I'll go with her big guy" he said, gesturing briefly. "If the tomb isn't down that passage, then it's not anywhere in this mine. The rest of you keep watch for other daemons."

Normally, she'd be glad to be alone with Noct, but there's still a threat of daemons if this passage didn't immediately lead into the royal tomb. So after Noct got just behind her, Iris carefully wedged herself into the crack, side-stepping her way through the not-quite-straight passage - some careful sounds and rustling noises showed that Noct wasn't far behind.

"Gladdy would have a little trouble squeezing through this" she breathed, but trying to sound lighter.

"Mmh. He'd probably be fine."

"Even still, I'm glad he doesn't have to try."

Luckily, she soon stepped into this decent-sized space that she'd seen hints of, which branched in two directions after a bend of rock. One path went toward one of those extremely-strange doors they didn't have the keys to, but on the other, Iris found another of those tomb doors after a stretch of walking.

"Turns out I was right" Iris said to Noct, standing in front of it right now, even as he slowly stepped closer. "Another door to a royal tomb, down this deep. Wonder if part of the cave system collapsed or something."

"That'd explain how we can only find it through a crack now" he said, breathing out once, one hand on this hip. "But since we're here, there's uh, one thing."

"Hmm?"

"Iris, were you... was there any reason you never, well, 'made a move'?"

Startled, not having expected _that_ , it took her a few seconds to respond... Noct was very awkward, not quite able to look at her, but the question (asked with effort) seemed more curious than anything. Numerous thoughts came to her mind, including all thoughts of her confession near Galdin Quay- but if he asked- did this mean he doesn't actually mind her crush, or something?

"Uh- well, sorta" Iris breathed, hands behind her back, trying to settle those thoughts. "I mean, I- I never really hesitated thought about doing the subtle stuff, like teases... but they were all playful fun. I never would've made an _actual_ move, not unless I thought you'd um, return my feelings, Noct."

After a moment, he gaze slowly returned to the door. "...I see."

"Why ask me that though?"

"Uh... it was just a thought, nagging in my head about your- about 'that'" he answered, stumbling over his words. "That's all."

Iris glanced back the way they came, knowing that even now the others were waiting for them- that might've influenced his answer just now, partly. At the same time, her mind kept going over his apparent reasons for asking, because it'd been kinda out-of-nowhere - but other than his given answer, she had none.

Not yet, but maybe it just needs time.

"Well, I guess it's not surprising you have questions" Iris admitted, slightly teasing- his lip seemed to twitch, while her tone grew softer. "Mmh. I'm a little glad you asked though; at least it means you're not bothered by how I feel about you. That you want things to stay normal as well."

Yet again, no answer, but Noct didn't deny what she'd said.

"...Still, we're here for a reason. Y-You should get that door open, Noct."

"...Right. Yeah."

Even when he got the next royal arm - a crossbow - Iris continued to wonder over his question. Part of her started to consider 'maybe's', but she shook her head, knowing if she went down that road, things could lead to disappointment, so instead she resolved to handle this one thing-at-a-time.

Maybe it was a random thought as he said, or maybe he had other reasons; she'll see later.

...

Camping went well, though as Iris soon found out, Prompto was eager to hear stories from Cor the Immortal while he's still around - Gladdy and herself had heard quite a few of these before, so she soon moved off. Ignis was still cooking, so he overheard and could partake in the conversation, even though Cor seemed iffy on anything related to his title, yet right now her heart wasn't into hearing stories.

Least not now.

Noct was about twenty feet away, literally sitting on the edge of the anti-daemon runes, the angle of the rocks semi-hiding him from the others. Right now he was just looking at the desert-ish area, mostly dark with occasional streetlights, including those of Longwythe - Iris thought he's clearing his head again, except after a minute, his head lowered and she thought she saw a barely-reflected glint on the side of his face.

Her heart lurched when she realized he's crying, and she didn't even realize that she'd moved over toward him.

"Noct?" Iris whispered, low so no one else could hear.

He barely moved; he didn't even seem startled, as though he'd heard her coming - quickly, Iris moved beside him, where he quickly raised an arm toward his face. "Don't" she breathed quickly, and he paused in confusion. "It's okay, Noct. I'm not one of the guys, so I won't judge you for crying."

Slowly, his arm lowered, though Noct wouldn't look at her- he said nothing.

Mmh...

Carefully, slowly, she moved to sit at a respectable distance - he didn't move at all, though she thought it's a slight struggle to 'keep' the tears coming, however slow it was.

Knees up to her chest now, Iris shifted a little. "In fact, if I stop to think about everything too much, I feel like crying too" she whispered, briefly sniffling. "I'm sure the others feel the same way, even if they wouldn't show it by crying."

His words were faint and halting:

"If- if you feel like crying, you should... right, Iris?" Noct whispered.

"Mmh, yeah. It's also okay for friends to offer a shoulder to cry on, Noct, and it doesn't have to be literal."

About a full minute passed, where he seemed to be glancing at her, but she focused on the feeling of wind through her hair. Indistinct in the background, they could hear the guys talking and everything, but it seemed much farther away than it really was.

"It's not that I don't- don't need one, Iris" Noct breathed, eyes closing; he chose then to wipe the tears away. "But I don't want to... be like I was months ago. So I'm just taking a moment."

Managing a small smile, she nodded. "That's understandable" Iris whispered, then her hands moved-

He made a startled sound, almost jolting when both her hands took his right hand, lifting it up a bit.

-despite that, she remained determined. "This isn't romantic" she added, fainter. "It's support from a friend. But if you're uncomfortable with it, just say so, Noct."

It took Noct several seconds to find his tongue, time he spent glancing at her hands.

"...uh, w-what support, exactly?"

Iris felt a little urge to giggle, thinking he's still feeling awkward even despite what she'd said; his hand was warm too. "Well for starters, a physical reminder that you're not alone" she breathed, doing her best to show said support. "It's supposed to make you feel better, but I could also do the shoulder thing, a hug- anything really, as a friend. We're all hurting here."

Some of the tension faded from his bearing, if slowly. "That's- this is still kinda forward, for a friend" Noct managed, his fingers moving slightly, even as her's kept rubbing in a continuous pattern.

That prompted her to smile, glancing down for a moment as she worked, feeling many things. "Like I just said, this isn't romantic" Iris whispered, if a bit mild; he glanced away for a moment. "I'm trying to help you, so it doesn't really count as a 'move', Noct. And if Gladdy sees this, I'll say it's not what it looks like."

After a glance, Noct almost chuckled, if clearly not looking forward to _that_ situation.

"I'll say this much" he breathed after a moment, still somewhat awkward. "You've got the same confidence as Gladio, Iris, even if you use it... differently. I think your words are- are helping me."

That caused her to pout slightly. "So nothing about my hand rub is working?"

Noct was a bit sheepish: "I- I didn't say that."

"Exactly: you haven't said anything about it, not directly."

Her statement actually drove him to chuckle, and it went on for several seconds- he even pulled his hand away, trying to stifle his semi-laughter. While a little disappointed that he'd pulled his hand away, Iris was mainly surprised, thinking it hadn't been that funny... but hey she'll take it, even as she felt a hefty dose of relief.

"I think I needed that" Noctis said afterward, aimed at nothing- he took a moment to catch his breath.

Iris slowly smiled; maybe it hadn't worked like she thought it would, but least it _worked_.

"I'm glad, Noct" Iris breathed, just looking at the landscape again. "Go ahead. Take as much time as you need."

He didn't respond to that, but his breathing had settled again, and a full minute passed by...

Then: "Iris?"

"Yeah?"

"What I said earlier..."

Slightly jolted, Iris looked at him, curious- he wasn't looking at her, but she noted that he seemed more intent.

Noct took in a breath. "The thought of your crush..." he started, before sighing. "I didn't _mind_ the thought, exactly. I only... I just worried about how L..."

By the sound of it, he'd had some difficulty getting even _that_ out... yet while her heart felt a pang at his mentioning this, several things started to click.

"You cared for Lunafreya, and she for you" Iris whispered, her heart beating faster. "You wondered if even though you haven't seen each other in forever, maybe you felt more than just a strong childhood bond. And as a result, if you started liking anyone else... you might be betraying her? Or something like that?"

Judging by his stillness, his breathing, it was pretty close to the mark.

She wanted to say many things, but most-of-all she tried not to get any ideas, knowing more than anything that she needs to be supportive. And moreover, she'd said to him that above all else, she wanted things to be normal between them... she can't go back on that, no matter what she may think.

"What do you think?" Iris breathed, for his sake. "Did you really feel that way about Lunafreya? And- and regardless of your answer, would she really be hurt if you were with anyone else now? Would she want you to be happy, since she's... no longer around? You can tell me how you feel."

Slowly, without making a sound, Noct glanced at her- his mind (and emotions) seemed to be in several places at once, including the stillness.

When time went on and he still said nothing, she started to feel a little bad...

Iris stood up then, though she didn't want to; by instinct, his gaze followed her up, as if surprised.

"Never mind; you don't have to tell me. Good night, Noct" she breathed, gentle- she left with an effort, knowing he needed time to think about this, to handle the events of today, just as they all did.

And maybe one day, she can help assure him that he'll be a great King too.

...

Well, that- that _sorta_ went well, at least.

Saying what he'd been thinking had been difficult, just like before; he never could find the right words, regarding his feelings. Yet somehow Iris had guessed - or already knew - the gist of how he felt about Luna, and not just the fact that she was important to him- it was almost unnerving how close her questions had been to his thoughts. And- and to answer said questions, he thought that Luna had definitely cared about him, and would probably want him to be happy, and not linger over her being... gone. Regardless of whether or not their feelings went beyond friendship or not - something he might never know now - he's quite sure that's the case.

Though it wouldn't be so easy to adjust, at least not right away...

But all that aside, he'd also gotten a major question of his answered: Iris didn't want to make a move un- unless he _did_ seem to like her.

Noctis slowly rubbed his head, feeling odd about all this; as he looked out at the stars above, stray thoughts went through his mind. One was about Iris always being there to help him, no matter what, the same as the guys had always done... and then there was what she'd done with her hands just now.

Maybe it wasn't meant as romantic, but the way she'd just grabbed his without hesitation, all to try and help him?

She had to be feeling as terrible as he did inside, and yet it didn't stop her from trying to be cheerful, or even smile at least a little...

"That's... really admirable" he whispered to himself.

He felt a little odd afterward, only just realizing that he'd said that... but he had meant it, so Noctis didn't really give it another thought, mainly because it would only make him awkward again. Then he looked behind/above him, still hearing faint sounds of conversation, and he realized that he should probably get up, and start preparing to go to bed.

Though, he wasn't sure he could sleep tonight...

* * *

 **Well, if it helps get the Bow of the Clever faster, you do what you gotta :P**

 **Still, soon enough we'll move into the various little events Iris shares with Noct, rather than the adventure side of things.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

Honestly, when it came to many things, she'd be willing to at least tag along- but assaulting the empire and their bases wasn't one of them.

She hadn't been alone in that opinion, as Gladdy was worried about her being anywhere near the empire's main forces as well, and that combined with the effectiveness angle made her decide to go on to Lestallum. So Iris blended in with the refugees going through the newly-being-constructed eastern base, a day before they tried; luckily it went without incident, though it hadn't been pleasant, and she'd been a little sad at having to go away.

It'd been really fun hanging out with the guys, before all this happened - even if she sometimes felt squished inside the Regalia.

On the bright side though, she'd had plenty of time to savor the sights of Lestallum for herself, and got to meet a number of old family friends/employees, including Jared and Talcott (who welcomed her in a heartbeat, and were kind enough to let her stay with them). In fact, after a few days, Iris began to feel that this place was a good one to call home- though at times, she quickly had to shake off sadness, as memories of Insomnia sometimes came up and made her feel a little guilty. As for where Noct and the guys were after assaulting the new base, their route to Lestallum was a bit circular, as while they're still on a mission they also had the royal arms to take care of. From the calls/texts she'd shared with Gladdy, this had included dealing with a monster problem at Wiz's chocobo outpost, an out-in-the-open royal tomb, and one dungeon they came across by chance. Apparently, it didn't go so well - all they'd done was venture in to check out the welcome mat, at night since that's when it opened and they figured 'why not?', but they'd gotten more than they bargained for.

Thankfully though, everyone seemed all right with them, not just physically but mentally... or well, as much as could be expected, all things considered...

Still, it did give her an idea: when they arrived at Lestallum, everyone would catch up and rest, but that also meant there'd be plenty of time to go sightseeing in the morning, assuming no other plans came up. The way she went about it was important too, as Noct might still be thinking/deciding how he's gonna respond to her, so she can't make it more than it might be- maybe _tease_ such, but only in a little friendly way.

Even if he knows that she felt quite a bit differently inside.

"Okay, Talcott" Iris said easily. "Got the plan memorized?"

The eager boy nodded quickly. "Yes, of course, Iris" he said, voice matching his demeanor. "When the others come here, we'll talk and catch up. But after that, mention sightseeing, and get you alone with Prince Noctis."

"Hey, you can't mention that last part!"

Hehe, the boy was a good sort, but his manners needed some work- Noct certainly wouldn't mind the latter aspect, but if he heard that tidbit, she'd probably die of embarrassment.

/

 _Morning_

So far, so good- Iris prepared herself again, knowing she's to take him sightseeing, but nothing more.

"Morning, sleepyhead" she teased to Noct-

-who still a bit groggy, just made a sound. "Morning" he breathed, his cool-friendly tone almost automatic. "Where is everyone?"

Iris gave a little smile, moving in place. "Oh, they're off with Talcott; they want to see the sights" she explained, before pretending to brighten a bit. "We should too, if you'd like."

For a moment, even with the groggy demeanor, Noct seemed to give her a strange look... then it passed, and he shrugged.

"Eh, sure" he said, glancing outside. "It's a beautiful day to sight-see."

"It sure is" Iris agreed, walking ahead a bit. "Come on! I'll show you around the city."

A little chuckle, but Noct followed her outside the hotel, and the 'exercise' definitely seemed to improve his state bit-by-bit. "You know, you missed a few adventures with us, Iris" he said along the way.

"Yeah, I know... but it's okay. I know the empire's been trying to track you down, and I'd rather not get into fights with them again" Iris admitted, pausing briefly to look at him. "That aside, I _really_ wish I could've been there when you visited Wiz's Chocobo Outpost."

To that, he nodded in understanding.

"Well, maybe later we could stop by there again" Noct answered, if after a moment's hesitation. "And, until then, um... oh yeah. Well, Prompto took a lot of pics when we were last there, so if you wanted, maybe you could ask him to show you."

Iris gave a little smile. "I'll keep that in mind" she said, before gesturing Noct to follow her again. "Still, onto to our first stop: the Partellum Market."

You could find almost anything food-related there; near-literally too, considering all the different rivals trying to sell their wares. Noct visibly looked disgusted when she said that included vegetables, and briefly turned grumpy too; Iris had to stifle a grin, because the sight of that had always been cute to her.

"Still, I'd buy out the whole place if I could" she added, sincere.

Noct slowly looked at her, probably determining if she meant it, before he uncrossed his arms- he gave a little shrug then, lip curving again in half-amusement. "Well, all these shops certainly aren't my cup of tea" he admitted, slightly mild. "But it sounds right up your alley, Iris."

That definitely made her happy. "You know me so well."

Despite clearly knowing she'd say something like that, he still half-looked away from her, not knowing what to say next... hehe.

Then next came the power plant, the reason Lestallum was such a big town out here, as well as the 'curious' observation that only women work there, and in fact do much of the important work in the town. After he said she'd probably do well here, while on their way to the outlook, she voiced her growing opinion that though she's been a city girl, the rustic charms were definitely growing on her, because it was all so different.

"So, you like it?" Noct asked, seeming curious.

"Completely" she assured. "I'm really digging it all, Noct. And you'd totally like the drinks in this place too."

"Ehh."

Iris seriously had to hide a laugh; she knew he'd said that on purpose! But as hilarious as she found his single-digit word (or less) comments, there was just something so charming about it too... it certainly made her feel warm, before she quickly shook her head and kept walking.

Once at the outlook, they could see the Meteor in the distance, where Noct leaned/rested upon the balcony for a time.

Then she moved closer to his side, just enough that it wouldn't too much, but he couldn't miss it either:

"You know, Noct" Iris breathed, teasing. "This almost feels like a date."

He stilled for a moment... but then let out a breath, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow, even as he leaned up from his position.

"If it were, your brother would kick my ass" Noct answered, slightly played-up yet in a dry tone.

Iris giggled; of course he'd choose to play it that way - in fact, she's glad Noct's playing along at all. "We'd better keep it quiet then" she said knowingly, hands behind her back, if also moving away slightly. "Still, if we were caught, I wonder how far we'd play along. You know, just to piss him off?"

Noct gave her a small look, but with a slight smirk. "You should know better than to piss Gladio off."

"Yes, but I'm his little sister; he goes easy on me" she said, grinning a little in return.

A slight chuckle. "Lucky you" he breathed, shaking his head, before seeming to consider something. "Hmm..."

"What's that 'hmm' for, Noct?" Iris teased. "Lost in thought?"

A little shrug. "Eh, not really" he brushed off, mild. "More like I'm thinking we could do a bet or something."

"Like what?"

"Well, heads-or-tails" Noct said, playing it cool. "It'll decide whether or not we go back to the hotel, right now, or stay out on this 'date' (he did air-quotes then) for a little longer."

Surprised, Iris had to not-literally bite her tongue, as she'd wanted to beam. "Leaving it up to chance, huh?" she quickly asked, giving her best playful look, though she didn't move any closer than normal. "Not much of a bet, is it Noct."

To that, he smirked slightly and pulled out a coin, a regular Gil currency. "You calling it or what?"

"Tails."

A slight nod, then he flipped the coin through the air, and did the whole fancy-catch stuff, a little 'tension' included by delaying his answer.

"Well, looks like it's tails" Noct said, showing her that same result. "Guess we're still dating a little longer."

Really surprised that time, part of her wondered _how_ he'd said that without getting flustered/awkward... much like she is now, a little.

"H-Hey, why are you saying it like that, Noct?" Iris asked, a bit wondering. "I mean, we both know this conversation is one big ol' tease, but that sounded almost forward."

"Well, why not?" he asked, eyebrow raised- his tone was somewhere between dry and knowing. "If we're gonna play it up for this long, might as well act the part. Or something like that anyway."

Oh, okay... in the back of her mind, the sudden lack of awkwardness/shyness was still very surprising. Unconsciously, Iris thought that _might_ be because he knows this isn't serious, and/or he's possibly acting that way to tease her in return.

But why like this? Is he maybe... getting back at all her teases, in his own way?

Whatever the case, she's _very_ pleased with the development:

"Act the part?" Iris said, interested, quickly waving him to follow her. "Well, that almost sounds tempting, Noct. And very forward for a friend."

Behind her, catching up, Noct let out a chuckle. "Yeah, _sure_ it is. But you're one to talk, Iris."

"Hehehe."

Whether he'd admitted it or not though, this definitely made her feel really happy- perhaps this is as good as she's gonna get, but it still means a lot. With everyone set to head to Cape Caem soon, she knew that they'd probably go to Altissia... because while the future is in doubt, the First Secretary's still expecting him at some point for negotiations.

* * *

At first, things were normal: they went to find this sword in the waterfall - aka another royal arm, hidden in this sprawling cavern - thanks to Talcott, which had been pretty standard fare. Sure, there had been daemons of course, but it wasn't like they were relieving a horror movie like the last two... if anything, the most notable aspect of the place had been the _cold_ ; Iris almost thought her legs would've frozen over, had they stayed too long.

As soon as they were done though, Noct suddenly got headaches; she'd been pretty worried for him, particularly when he seemingly got flashes of the Meteor, suggesting the answer answering involved the Archean himself... predictably, Gladdy had said they'd better handle that particular business. Since the other Hunters were helping prepare the boat at Cape Caem, and they still needed help looking for materials (which she could help out with), she'd agreed without much protest. Even though it was necessary, it was still a shame though; it's not everyday one could potentially get to meet with an Astral. But then again, she's rather luck to even see part of the journey to collect the royal arms, so probably best not to push her luck.

Not that she hadn't been a little jealous, despite all that, if not wanting herself to feel that way...

Soon enough the entire city felt the tremors, and everyone could visibly see the Meteor _and_ the Archean move, along with the imperial ships hovering over the place. They heard distant sounds of gunfire, but the tremors wouldn't stop (even if they didn't cause much damage per quake) - she worried for the guys, though a little less so when Titan seemed to disappear from the Disc itself. Later though, she got a call from Cindy - and the update that they're definitely alive - who wanted her help to see if any garages in Lestallum/other nearby outposts had the Regalia. Apparently in all the confusion, the guys had to get away in a hurry, and so left the Regalia had been left behind...

This made her sad, but at least the guys were fine... and from then on, she made sure to keep calling every night, if mainly to her brother's number.

But one night, standing on a balcony and glancing at the clock - coming up on 6 PM, and it's already this dark out - she got Noct instead.

 _"Yeah?"_

Briefly started, Iris soon smiled a little. "Noct, I'm glad to hear from you" she breathed, softer.

 _"Heh, sure. So, how are things?"_

"Thus far, good; we're almost prepared to head to Caem" she assured, feeling the wind move at her hair. "Would've been ready sooner, but we had a number of materials to gather. Cindy made sure we got the list, and where we could find them, though we're still going through that same list."

 _"Well, it's progress. Think you'll be ready when we get back?"_

Iris made a sound. "I suppose that depends on how you plan to get back, Noct" she admitted, fainter, leaning against the balcony railing. "If you're stuck on walking, it'll take you days to get back, though chocobos would be faster."

 _"Hey, don't sweat it. We're gonna get the Regalia back; we know where it is."_

The surprise showed in her voice. "Where?"

 _"Another imperial army base."_

The way he said that - grim, more serious - gave her pause. "You're gonna take it back from them, aren't you."

 _"Yeah"_ he told her, but with understanding. _"We're near it right now in fact, but Ignis has an infiltration plan in the works; don't worry."_

Iris hid a small smile, as he actually sounded like her being worried bothered him. "I'll worry, but maybe I'll channel it into prayer instead, Noct" she assured. "Since I'm assuming you've got Titan's approval, maybe I'll pray to Ramuh instead."

Surprisingly, he chuckled. _"No worries about him_ _"_ he said with ease-

-she was left a bit confused, wondering how he's so sure of that, and what he'd been up to if it's the truth. Then she remembered the reports of unusually-long rainstorms over Duscae, plus localized repeating lightning strikes, and thought maybe that had something to do with it.

 _"But anyway, just uh, promise me that you'll be safe, Iris. Not just for Gladio's sake, but for all of us."_

Despite that last part, something about his slight intensity along with 'promise me' made her heart-rate jump, wondering. That almost sounded like something else, for a moment... combined with the overplayed 'date' conversation they had days before, she began to wonder.

Is this just in her head, or... thankfully though, her mouth moved of it's own accord:

"Y-Yeah. I promise, Noct."

A small pause, as if her voice had wavered or something. _"Alright. Well, take care."_

"You too."

Then the call ended, and after a few moments, she had to remind herself not to get hung up on what-if's - this isn't enough to jump to conclusions. For now he's still just a friend, even if she might be crushing on him, and thus far he's been acting friendly toward her as well, including that kinda-maybe payback for her teases.

But hey, it's a step up; no problems with that.

...

 _Days later_

This can't keep happening... first Insomnia, their dad along with King Regis, and now Jared?

Even now she couldn't stop dwelling on it, standing near to the window frame, staring out at the city lights (both normal, and the spotlights warding against daemons). Neither Talcott nor she had directly witnessed it, thank the Stars, but their attempts to stop things had been meet with armed guns... out of nowhere they'd just marched in, not stopping even when Jared asked what their business was. In fact, before any of them knew what's happening, they'd taken him in on flimsy grounds of questioning and they couldn't stop it, or at least she couldn't without threat of them hurting Talcott. Not knowing what else to do, she'd tried to reassure him, though she unconsciously avoided making them sound like promises- after everything that's happened, that could just lead to even worse.

And boy was she right...

Talcott had been devastated to hear of Jared's death, and he seemed to hear nothing she said in his grief, including that Jared had been strong. In fact, it'd been a struggle to say what happened when Noct and the others arrived - but despite that, she knew they had to continue to Caem; they couldn't stay in Lestallum any longer.

But now, Talcott's got no one to take care of him... for the third time that night, Iris thought about how she'd promised to go with Noct and the others...

"Iris?"

Her mouth twisted, but she unconsciously wiped at her tears. "Hey, Noct" she whispered faintly, listless.

"...are you okay?" he asked in a low tone - he was nearly behind her now.

After a moment:

"As much as I can be, I guess" she breathed, slowly turning in place; even at a glance, she could see that he's struggling with everything too. "I just- I just couldn't..."

A moment's hesitation, then his hands moved to her shoulders - slightly surprised, she looked at him... some awkwardness was present in his expression, but his voice was steady:

"I'm sure you did everything you could, Iris" he stated, still low yet sincere... then he glanced off with a furrowed brow. "It's the empire that has to pay for this. I don't know how just yet, but when I figure it out, they'll pay."

Mmh- Iris slowly touched his wrists for a moment, redrawing his attention.

"I know that's what you feel you need to do, Noct" she whispered, looking down. "I won't talk you out of it. But I just- the thought of revenge against the empire doesn't comfort me."

Long moments passed, with her brushing tears out of her eyes again... then suddenly, Noct's hands went around her back, pulling her close to him.

While still sad and conflicted, it did make her heart beat faster, a little.

"Then maybe this will" he whispered, not-quite-as-steady now. "If you need to cry, or not, I'm uh, here right now. Just like you were... before."

If this were any other situation, Iris would've been wondering, even as she enjoyed it... but she began to shake after several seconds. Fresh tears slowly spilled as she leaned against Noct, her grip tight - his remained normal, perhaps even hesitant, but that's exactly what she needs right now.

Thankfully though, she'd done a majority of crying earlier, so she didn't have much to spill.

"...Thank you, Noct."

A slight sound.

"You didn't have to do this for me. Even your words would've been enough."

After several moments, he let out a breath. "Maybe" Noct answered, faint. "But it didn't seem like enough."

Mmh- Iris slowly raised her head, trying to find the words to show her appreciation, though none came to mind. For about two seconds they just looked at each other, but then she realized how close they were... only several inches apart, enough to feel his breath (and probably her's too), and she spent a whole second just regarding his lips...

Surprisingly, while he seemed to have noticed, he didn't look _too_ awkward or anything... and after another second or two, Noct was _still_ just holding her.

By some unspoken instinct, Iris moved back, her mind having gone blank and her heart beating faster. The motion seemed to jar Noct out of something, as he made a sound and blinked several times, slowly glancing off as his hands lowered (much like hers had done).

W- What's happening? That was- that was almost like...

Even as she wondered, Noct seemed slightly confused, but then appeared to think a little before he muttered something like 'Umm, g- good night, Iris'. Then he turned and left her with her thoughts/feelings, if with a small glance at her - even after he was gone, she was struggling to make sense of what just happened.

...

Well, he'd sorta managed to do things right... he guessed.

Noctis knew he hadn't planned on actually _doing_ anything in that moment, except to hug her; he knew that, but he'd still found the moment where their faces were close to be surprisingly... something. He'd (somehow) managed without losing his composure, watching her reactions and not sure what he was going to do or say next, but she'd surprised him by pulling away, despite the fact of her crush. But uh, before that, Iris had definitely seemed comforted, perhaps even happy about that sorta-moment, which had been his intention. Then when she pulled away, her expression had turned into this mix of wonder, curiosity, and confusion... which he could understand, as he remembered her implying that she believed that he (probably) didn't think of her as anything more than a friend...

 _"Mmh. Well, I suppose that's- that's partially my fault"_ he admitted in his head, if faint and halting; he _had_ done nothing about her crush period, and he wasn't good at expressing himself either.

And by extension, he hadn't given her any kind of answer yet; for now, it's still just business as usual, as Iris said.

So... until he had an answer, and had his reactions figured out, that left... uh, more teases he guessed (to try and return the favor).

While he was still alone, Noctis brushed a hand along his face, hoping this would figure itself out...

Meeting up with the other guys, though he paid attention to the their conversations, he also slowly considered things through the night. Mainly, he went over the previous times he and Iris had talked alone, remembering how he'd saved her years ago (probably where she'd started to... like him), and vaguely wondered exactly what Iris liked about him... for his part, he found he couldn't deny that she's cute, looks and personality-wise...

And- and more than that, he did like their hanging-out... not just in general, but being alone with her, even with her 'date' tease.

Suppose that's a start.

* * *

 **As said, a semi-retelling focused on this pairing, and thus means that while Iris would go with the guys for a time, it wouldn't involve every single aspect of the adventure (story or gameplay-wise). Still, all things considered it isn't necessary, as the build-up for these two is slowly-but-steadily moving along ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

 _Cape Caem_

Mmh- well, it'd been fun hanging out with the guys like old times on the way to Caem, and at least the guys would be hanging around a bit longer before they had to leave, save for possibly Gladdy, who'd gone off on some business that he wouldn't say. Iris knew he'd be back, but he could be maddeningly tight-lipped whenever he had a secret something to take care of... but guess that came with the tough guy territory. As for the royal vessel itself, it was almost ready except for some missing mythril... which could only be found in the Vesperpool, currently under imperial lock-down. She'd known from the beginning that they'd try to find a way in, even fight/blast their way in if they needed to, but her feelings had been mixed at that point for several reasons.

What she hadn't managed to say to them yet though, was that she's beginning to veer toward a different choice for the foreseeable future.

"You know, Jared" Iris breathed, seated beside his memorial stone, feeling the breeze from the ocean wash over her. "Talcott's managing to keep moving forward, despite you no longer being with us... we're all doing our best that way. Noct, Gladdy, Prompto, Ignis, they even assaulted the empire's bases just to avenge you. I know you probably wouldn't want that, but they did it for you, simply because you were a good friend of our families. In fact I still remember you from a decade ago, always doing your best to take care of things when dad was working with King Regis. And for myself, I think right now I'm gonna look after Talcott for awhile, as we've fixed up a nice longhouse here in Cape Caem, to make sure he's okay. I hope that you'll be watching over us, even now."

After that, the words didn't come as easily, but it helped put her heart at ease... at least moreso.

Thanks to having time to herself, she'd also thought more about Noct's recent behavior as well. First the small overplaying of her 'date' moment, including how well he handled playing along; then that small phone call they'd shared, making sure everyone was alright, which could still seem like nothing; then the way he'd given her a shoulder to cry on, which had worked well until she realized the way he looked at her, from inches away and not saying a word. Then more recently, that time they'd spent exploring the Malmalam Thicket had been rather buggy (literally), but there were two moments she recalled fondly. Namely, the guys calling for chocobos right in front of her - she'd had a field day with the pink one, hehehe - and also the in-dungeon camping trip, which despite them being rather tired, had a small chat between her and Noct.

Not about anything important, just talking- since this was in front of the guys, so nothing happened or was really teased.

Even still, it was much more like the adventuring trip she'd wanted to go on...

Heart beating faster, Iris tried not to jump to conclusions, but it's getting harder and harder now. It seems obvious that Noct is teasing her, but the way he's doing it and why... it's- it's as if he's interested, and her mind kept coming back to that night, when she'd asked how he felt Lunafreya would think of his being happy for her sake. That might be related, but he couldn't have suddenly decided he liked her so suddenly... could he? Or even worse, what if he's just being himself - teasing or otherwise - and her mind's exaggerating it out of proportion, trying to convince herself of things that aren't there?

Mmh no, she wouldn't go _that_ far with herself... but whatever Noct's doing, his teases do seem more playful than they've ever been...

When Iris came to, she found her face a little heated up, and quickly worked to shake herself hard; can't spent any more time on these thoughts, or she might convince herself of them!

B-Besides, it should be about time to continue tending to those carrots near the house - Noct would never eat them, duh, but they had value beyond cooking. On a related note, she had to tend to them quick; had to have Noct's 'gift' ready for when they all come back from the Vesperpool. Despite her recent thoughts, it wasn't related to Noct's behavior, but still planned by her for entirely different reasons.

Still, that moogle doll had been a sorta-hard find, simply because they weren't in stock...

 _"No one really thinks it's cute, and I can sorta-understand why"_ Iris thought, carefully walking down to the field. _"But if you changed a few aspects, like making the legs much smaller, and made them a bit more round, then they'd be more of a cute little mascot. Sorta like chocobos; wish I could keep that one the guys lent me."_

And actually, that didn't seem like a bad idea right now... maybe once things are settled, she'll go down to Wiz's Chocobo Post and buy her own.

Preferably with that same bright-pink color scheme; yellow looked good, but she preferred the more unique color, even if she'd never exactly wear pink on herself.

* * *

 _Days later_

 _Lestallum_

"Noct, over here."

Having seen him, Iris had called over without thinking; it was only afterward that she realized he's alone- the guys were probably waiting on him or something, but that's even better. Still, she made sure to keep her gift well-behind her back, even as he recognized her and came over - with this mythril business over with, she probably wouldn't get another chance for awhile.

"What's up, Iris?" he asked, curious.

She just smiled, if shifting a few times. "So, remember how I picked something up at the market the other day?"

"Ah... I think so."

Least he hasn't completely forgotten, even as she moved her gift to in-front-of-her now.

"Well, this is for you, Noct" Iris said, trying not to sound too nervous.

With the moogle's head semi-blocking her view, Iris only _kinda_ saw Noct's reaction, though the pause was unmistakable.

"What- what is it?" he asked, as if uncertain.

Then she pulled the moogle closer to her body, looking at it for awhile, though she glanced at Noct out of the corner of her eye; he seemed nonplussed. "You put your life on the line everyday, so I wanted you to have a little insurance" Iris explained, heart beating faster before she tried to put a stop to that. "A lucky charm, as it were. It's called a moogle, and this one's gonna look out for all you guys."

Noct glanced at the little guy, still seeming nonplussed. "Uh, how exactly?" he asked her, confused.

"Oh, you know; he'll float around and be a decoy" she assured, keeping the smile. "Keep him by your side, and he'll take care of you. And if he gets roughed up a bit, I'll take care of him - you can always find me in Caem."

By then, she offered him the moogle - it took him a few seconds, but he slowly took it from him, even though his look seemed wary.

"Um, thanks Iris. Hopefully he can take some good-" he said, rather slow as he eyed the doll, before he blinked and looked at her. "Wait, what do you mean you'll 'always be in Caem'?"

Mmh- Iris held her hands behind her back, feeling sad deep down, but trying hard not to let it overtake her; she didn't want to ruin the moment.

"I haven't gotten around to telling you guys yet, but I- I don't think I'll be able to go with you to Altissia after all" she said, heart beating faster; it wasn't helping that Noct sounded bothered. "It's not because I think I'm slowing you down, or anything like that. Even if I'm not exactly a front-line fighter, I learned with the best of them, Gladdy included. But when I thought about coming along, this was just going to be a simple back-and-forth trip, with some harmless adventuring, yet now it's turned into something much bigger... something that'll have you guys full-out confronting the empire after Altissia, I'm sure."

As she spoke, his furrowed brow slowly changed, and eventually Noct let out a breath.

"And as you said before, revenge doesn't comfort you" he said, a bit heavier

"Mmh. Not at all."

"...Is this also because of Talcott?" he asked after a moment; she nodded. "I see."

"I know it's out of nowhere, but he needs someone to help take care of him, at least for awhile. Gladdy can protect you well enough on his own, while I help out in my own way" Iris whispered, glad he can see her reasons. "I also feel that I owe it to Jared, for having helped our family in the past; I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah, I understand" he said, if sounding a bit faraway now. "I guess I was just... getting used to you hanging around."

That did make her feel happier, if still trying to keep her heart-rate steady.

"Oh really?" Iris teased slightly, more mild. "Because I thought that happened well before now."

A slight chuckle, even as he slowly glanced off. "Maybe so" Noct admitted, if sounding odd (in addition to faraway). "Still, unless I'm mistaken, now I'm supposed to go out and find you a uh- a gift of some sort."

"Ah" Iris breathed, startled. "Noct, t-that's not really necessary."

His gaze was still turned away, but he just shifted, slower and with a touch of subtle awkwardness. "Isn't it?" he asked after a moment. "It's proper behavior for people to return the favor when- when gifts are involved. And it's nice too. Um, yeah."

She couldn't deny that, but it felt a lot like there's something more going on; what made him just decide to give her a gift in return? While he might not refuse the moogle out of politeness, what made him suddenly feel obliged to return the favor?

Despite not understanding why, she did try to keep from assuming anything...

"...Um- alright, if you insist" Iris eventually said; it should be okay, if he's just be returning the favor. "Still, you might not have much time; I'm expected in Caem. We'll get the mythril installed, and whenever you guys are ready, we'll be there to see you off."

"Yeah. Sounds good."

Because she was preoccupied with her own thoughts, she didn't truly register Noct's tone there, or that he also seemed preoccupied with something.

/

 _Days later (again)_

Even from the house, it wasn't hard to recognize the sound of Regalia's engine driving up - it wasn't long before the guys all visited. Iris had been looking forward to the usual friendly chatter, lingering for a few minutes before they all went down the docks, and everyone would say their goodbyes; trying to enjoy it while it lasts.

All that happened for sure, but with quite an unexpected turn...

"So, what was that whispered comment from Gladdy, Noct?" Iris asked, a bit teasing - they were walking toward the lighthouse even now, semi-alone even since the other guys had started to go on ahead. "It sounded like 'before it's too late' or something."

Noct definitely seemed awkward about something, but was trying to manage. "Are you sure that's what you heard?" he 'asked', eyebrow raised.

Iris just giggled. "Well yes, I'm _pretty_ sure, but will you tell me anyway?"

He made a sound, half-facing her. "What makes you think I will? After all, I..." he started to say, before he trailed off (and stopped walking), brow furrowed as he began to pat near his pockets.

"Noct?" she asked, confused.

He grunted. "Son of a- I think my phone fell out during the ride here" he breathed, exasperated, briefly brushing through his hair. "Such a hassle."

"Hey, these things happen" Iris assured, if wanting to laugh. "Still, it's not like it's that big a deal; the Regalia will be going with you guys."

"Yeah, but I won't have my phone during the boat ride" he pointed out, half-amused now (the small gleam in his eyes gave that away). "I better grab it now while I can, before Cid and Cindy bring the car into the hold."

"I'll come too" Iris said quickly, wanting to savor this unexpected time. "If it fell between a seat cushion, you could use another pair of hands."

"Cool."

Noct seemed in a bit of a hurry though, as he pretty much ran down to the Regalia, and she had to work to keep up with him- luckily it wasn't too far. Noct was quick to open the front-passenger car door, starting to search there - she did the same from the other side, being careful not to bump the wheel or anything else vital; didn't want anything happening to the Regalia, or the guys would _not_ be happy.

"Any luck over there?" Iris asked, groping between the seat and the side here, making several sounds.

"Not so far. Still looking."

She soon decided it's not on this side, though Noct was being thorough, so she closed the door and moved over toward the back end. She was about to open the door when she stopped, startled by the sight of a bouquet in the back seat - she recognized those flowers too: they grew in the area near-to the Rock of Ravatogh, ie the rumored-to-be corpse of the Infernian, Ifrit.

Sometimes their family had been sent these flowers; she'd always loved them.

"Uh... Noct? W-What's this about?"

Seconds passed before Noct slowly stood up, seeming a bit tense and/or focused- she'd only register later that he'd found his phone, as it was in his hand. After another moment, his voice was semi-awkward:

"Uh... well, it's- it's for you, Iris. Your gift."

Heart beating faster, she flash-backed to yesterday in Lestallum, given Noct his moogle doll- this made it even more difficult to keep her composure. It didn't help either that though she thought this gift is just friendly, being given flowers could also be seen as romantic... but she can't jump the gun on that!

So, Iris made sure to focus on the pleasant feelings, just long enough to last till they left on the boat.

"Oh wow, they're beautiful" she breathed, not at all faking; within a second she'd picked them up. "That's so sweet, Noct, thank you."

"I uh... thanks" Noct breathed, with a strange tone. "But... I mean, I see that you like them yet... i-is something wrong, Iris?"

"No. No, not really" Iris answered, slowly turning to look at him with a smile. "But I really do appreciate this. It's more than you usually show, so I guess I'm just surprised; that's all."

During the seconds-long pause, she did get a few impressions, one of which is that he didn't _exactly_ seem convinced. Then again, Iris also wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking, or feeling, and part of that was probably because of her focus on trying to enjoy this moment, rather than wonder why (which she could easily do later).

"O... kay" Noct slowly answered, seeming to let it go. "Well, it's not like me, but uh... there is something m- more."

More?

"Oh" Iris breathed, quickly reminding herself that he's just returning a gift, in his own way. "What is it, Noct?"

His mouth worked once, Noct let out a breath as he moved forward/just past her, though he stopped close by- somewhat put off, and only able to see the back of his head now, Iris felt confused. When it seemed like a minute passed and nothing else happened, she began to have various little thoughts, before she looked off to the side; no, she can't let herself wonder what this is about, even if she might want to.

After all, his meaning's still about returning a gift, despite... whatever this difficulty was.

Unbeknownst to her, Noct turned around then, seeming steeled- he paused slightly when he registered that she's looking away, but otherwise kept going.

In her peripheral vision, Iris did see Noct move toward her... making a sound, she turned her head-

-and her breath hitched when she suddenly found him _very close_.

Much later, she'd register that despite his 'composure' (such as it was), Noct was barely holding back a lot of emotions himself. His mouth was set, yet his body moved quite a bit, as if it couldn't decide whether to be still or not... his eyes were half-closed, and yet she could still see the natural blue so clearly...

Then his eyes closed, and-

-and he kissed her.

Her mind nearly shut down, warmth spreading through her body, and Iris could feel her heart hammering against her ribs- the bouquet dropped from her hands, landing relatively unharmed. All the feelings she'd had about Noct's behavior just seemed to explode, and her reasons for, well _everything_ fell away with it too... he tasted a little like soda, as if he'd had some in the Regalia before coming here.

That tiny realization actually jolted her, enough to recover some awareness- it made her lips move against his, if unconsciously.

 _"T- this is happening...!"_

By the end of that thought, Noct pulled back quickly, leaving her to gasp a little... her fingers came up, touching her tingling lips. Staring at Noct, she didn't register (until much later) that he was struggling with a lot of things, including awkward embarrassment, his own reactions to the sensations, and a _bunch_ other stuff.

When he spoke, Noct was forcing the words out at first: "That- that wasn't romantic" he said quickly, before grunting. "I- I-I mean it's not 'just' friendly, but... it's meant as- as 'thanks', and I just... gah! How is this so-?"

Whatever he was going to say, Iris barely noticed and just moved by instinct; she kissed him herself. He was _heavily_ surprised, not returning the favor at all, though admittedly it only lasted a few seconds- compared to his kiss, her's was definitely a step up in (inexperienced) affections. The entire time, his words were echoing in her mind, trying to take in their full meaning despite it's 'shut down' state. Still, even this hadn't been intended as romantic... she was so very _happy_ that he'd done it at all, more than she could express right now...

She made a breathy sound when she pulled back, as did he, to a lesser degree.

"Oh, Noct" Iris whispered, unable to keep a silly grin off her face. "That was- that was definitely the best gift ever."

This got a faint sound out of him, but little more, as if he suddenly couldn't find his voice... he couldn't seem to look at her either.

"So... you thanked me, to- to show your appreciation. I-Is that all that it means?"

A long time passed, or it really seemed like it.

"I- I think that..." he eventually spoke, faint. "Well, I... mmh. A-after- after I come back... maybe..."

Noct couldn't seem to finish, but even _that much_ made her heart-rate jump again-

-'maybe' - whatever he meant exactly, he hadn't said things could never happen; heck yes!

Luckily that reaction was only in her head:

"I- I'm looking forward to that already" Iris whispered, really soft, hands in front of her.

Noct rubbed the back of his head, cheeks redder and still unable to look at her, but his lip almost seemed to be twitching (in the good way). He still didn't look at her or speak, not until they were in front of the others again later, which was only because they both had to keep up appearances... otherwise, they were both unable to do much of anything.

...

Whew... seriously, Iris j-just made things... things.

Gah, he can barely think straight at the moment; his mind just kept coming back to the way she'd kissed him, way better than his 'attempt' for sure, and how fast his heart was beating from what he did. Still, Noctis felt relieved that more than anything, Iris got the gist: how he felt about everything was still tentative, not romantic (at least not yet; still figuring _that_ out), and the k-kiss had been a show of appreciation for, well everything. He- he knew hers was definitely _more_ than that, but it'd been given as a thank-you too, because she hadn't assumed his version had made them together. The only part he wished he could've changed, was how 'fast' he had to do that show-of-appreciation: Iris saying she intended to say in Caem had certainly done that. Since he and the guys did plan to go to Tenebrae, and then onward to Niflheim for The Crystal after their business at Altissia, that meant that unless he'd done it soon... who knew how long it'd be till they saw Iris again.

Despite the fact that he intended to win, there was always the chance that- that more bad things could happen along the way. And Noctis didn't want another chance for things to go unstated, only for them to never be known... still, getting himself into a rushed 'prepared' state had _really_ taken it out of him.

Even still, he's grateful for Iris not assuming his- his kiss was romantic - she's definitely more strong-willed than he'd given her credit for, as well as patient.

It was all he could do to keep up the cool, normal facade during the goodbyes and everything, and Iris must've been struggling too-

-yet somehow they'd pulled it off, least enough to be passable.

Still, even as he stood there waving, seeing Iris and Talcott on the dock, Noctis couldn't help but feel a little 'down'. He understood Iris's reasons for staying behind, and it's probably for the best too... but he and the guys had to go away for these negotiations, while Iris outright passed on confronting the empire, when he would've appreciated her tagging along.

*sigh*

Well, once he goes through it all, he'll come back and then...

...then they're see about afterward, if he can manage to find the right words. He _barely_ did so this time, and he's pretty sure part of that was only because Iris understood so much about him.

For right now, he just dreaded Gladio's inevitable confrontation about him giving Iris those flowers.

* * *

 **Well, it is a beginning, even if not anything 'official'-official just yet lol. And with a viewpoint not following Noctis and company around, the events seems to go by faster :)** **Sadly though, this marks the point where things start to go bad in the game's plot - but on the bright side it does allow some exploration of they handle things back home.**

 **I'll also admit, I did think about having Iris follow Noctis + company through the latter portions of the game, but well... I didn't think it would end well. Considering what I knew about Ardyn at the time of writing, there was no conceivable way Iris could've tagged along without Ardyn noticing that she liked Noctis, and he seemed to possibly feel the same. Given his vendetta against Noctis, there was every likelihood Ardyn would do to Iris what he did to Lunafreya... and there would be virtually nothing anyone could do to stop this, considering his powers. Anything else would've looked contrived, or out-of-character, so I had to dismiss it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

After Noct's not-romantic kiss, and her follow-up one, she'd been constantly on the edge of squealing... in fact, privately she _did_ a few times, rolling around on her bed arrangements.

The hardest part had been concealing it from the others- or she should say, concealing it well enough that they couldn't figure out the cause, other than the fact that she's been really, _really_ happy. Outside of her brother, there'd been a few glances from Ignis and Prompto, as if they weren't sure of her and Noct's tones, or perhaps just the way they lingered slightly when talking to each other. Gladdy, of course, was the one closest to figuring out the real cause, in no small part because he knew of the whole flower business, and had asked her what happened via text messages (probably after grilling Noct). She'd told him the semi-truth, that she'd been surprised by the gift but certainly liked it, even as Noct had awkwardly admitted that he's basically doing it to return a gift, like she'd done by giving him that moogle.

He hadn't seemed convinced when she didn't follow-up-

-but it's not exactly a surprise; just gotta keep at it until they get back.

Iris adjusted the bouquet, which continued to look good, at least before she started to look up at the sky - even with her mind elsewhere the last few days, it was hard not to notice how quickly the Starscourge seemed to be advancing. Nowadays, they're starting to become active at 9 AM or later, because that's when it got light enough to venture out... and now, it started to get dark at closer to 4-or-5 PM, giving them less and less daylight by the week.

Before people had been worried, but now they might start to truly panic, with less than a month or so before eternal darkness.

"With all the daemons that keep showing up, I definitely need to get stronger" she whispered to herself, more determined. "My kicks and punches won't exactly cut it anymore. Better to learn now... just in case we have no choice but to face it."

Still, with Noct and the guys gone, that only left one candidate to start her training with.

...

"There he is" Iris breathed, glad yet a little nervous; hopefully he'll say yes. "Cor, I wanted to ask you something."

As she was hurrying up, Cor kept at what he's doing; tuning through radio stations, though she wasn't sure what he hoped to hear.

"What is it, Iris?"

"Well- I'd like it if you could start training me. You know, to wield a sword or something."

He half-turned where he stood, surprise showing for a moment as he regarded her. "Does this have anything to do with more daemons showing up at night?" he asked after a moment, slightly louder to be heard over the radio.

She nodded, a little more intent. "For all I know, Noct and the guys might somehow stop this plague tomorrow, and we won't have to worry. But just in case, I'll need more than my fists or my legs to hit daemons with" Iris said, determined. "We'll all need to do our part."

For a moment, he had a shadow of a smirk. "As befits a daughter of the Amicitia family" Cor said, mild yet approving. "I accept, but it will have to wait a few days, so I can actually scourge some spare equipment for you to train with."

"That's okay" she answered easily, moving even closer. "I'd hardly try to rush Cor the Immortal; I'm honored you even said yes."

Yet again, there was a flicker upon hearing his title, though otherwise he didn't show any signs. "You can feel honored, but don't let it interfere with your training" he said, if somewhat amused. "Though I think once Gladiolus comes back, he'll demand to be part of it too."

"Yup, that's Gladdy for you" Iris breathed, a little knowing- then she tilted her head. "But what are you listening to, Cor?"

Cor looked at the station, adjusting things as he flipped through the channels. "I'm listening for any news reports" he said, half-focused on the words coming from it. "Talks of negotiations with Accordo, trouble with the Empire, business with the Hydraean- anything that might involve His Highness or his associates."

That second-to-last bit surprised her. "Leviathan?" she breathed, a bit confused. "They're really going to risk waking her up?"

After all, she reportedly had quite a temper...

"Perhaps because, as I was told by King Regis before, Lady Lunafreya was communing with the Astrals" Cor answered, gaze somewhat far-off. "All in preparation for them to lend their support to His Highness."

Iris remembered then, how Noct had offhandedly mentioned that Ramuh was now on their side, and she wondered what she'd been missing. Clearly this had been part of it; Lunafreya had gone to see the Astrals themselves, preparing for when Noct would need to ask for their power, and he had been after a certain point... but wait...

"Is that- is that what killed her, Cor?" she whispered, making a sound. "Lunafreya, I mean? The strain of communing?"

Cor didn't move or utter a sound-

-she hung her head a little.

 _"It still doesn't make any sense though; why would Lunafreya let things go that far, even if for Noct's sake?"_ she thought, hands held tightly. _"Did she know what was going to happen too?"_

That thought was a scary one... and then she remembered what Cid had said, after they'd learned Insomnia had fallen: King Regis had seen this coming, and did the best he could with the 'bad hand'. But if King Regis _and_ Lunafreya had both seen what was to come, and everything had led to events like this... what had they seen?

Was it the Starscourge, the prospect of eternal darkness?

Iris was pulled from her thoughts when, among the radio's reports, 'Prince Noctis' was spoken - Cor himself was focused, turning up the volume.

 _"-reports of his death have been proven exaggerated. Prince Noctis was present at the awakening of the Hydraean, an event that proved to have destructive consequences - full extent of the damage is unclear, but parts of the city have been hit with floodwater, after an unprovoked military assault from Niflheim's army. Making matters worse, Prince Noctis and company have disappeared following this incident, and there are already unconfirmed reports of extensive damage to Tenebrae's region as well, for reasons unknown-"_

The radio seemed to pick up interference, as distortions soon made listening impossible... for all the notice they took, it might as well have shut itself off.

/

 _A few days later_

She'd like to say things slowly got better, but she'd be lying.

Part of the problem was daemons, which kept appearing in droves whenever it got dark out - steadily lengthening, even now - and making things more dangerous no matter what. With the limited daylight available, everyone soon agreed that while they'd rush everything possible during that time, they had to start forming measures to operate at night... a good chuck of which dictated how/when to run from said daemons, especially for those who couldn't fight. The other part was definitely psychological, because not only did things get worse in general, peoples' ability to handle themselves in the face of this developing crisis was mixed, to say the least. And just recently they'd started to get refugees, a number from Altissia via boat (most of whom just beached where they could), and later others who'd claim they were from Tenebrae.

When asked what happened, along with why the empire didn't stop them from leaving, the answer was always the same: daemons. It was no surprise that the empire also had daemons running amok - that'd been assumed by everyone - but their behavior as of late was just plain baffling... it didn't help that radio reports became practically nonexistent overnight, except for locally...

Probably for the best too, as shock-wise, they're still adjusting to the recent changes in their worldview.

"Leviathan must've been incensed by the empire attacking her" Iris breathed; it had to be the case. "But why would they?"

In the driver's seat, Cor gave a sigh. "If I had the answer, I'd give it, Iris" he said, disquieted. "Why the empire would do such a thing troubles me as well; Altissia was part of their own conquests. There's no good reason why they'd just attack, even to prevent Noctis from gaining The Hydraean's favor."

Silence reigned for a minute or so.

Eventually: "Still, despite this tragedy, we must look to ourselves for right now" Cor spoke, fainter. "Have the Hunters responded yet?"

Mmh- Iris checked her phone, seeing that she did have a new message alongside the old one, which she lingered over. It read: _"Iris, we're shaken but okay, all of us... but we're headed to Tenebrae. Got a tip on another possible royal arm from Cor, and we've agreed that if this is to end, the empire has to pay."_

She hoped Gladdy's right, but the way he'd left '...' made her worried- something more had happened, but she couldn't place what.

And anyway, Cor had asked her a question.

"They say they've gathered up all the lighting equipment they could muster, as well as the odds and ends to maintain them, but getting them placed and tested will take longer" she spoke, if worried as she read on. "And also, given the speed of the lengthening nights, and the daemons appearing... it doesn't seem like they'll be placed everywhere before eternal night hits. Or even if they are, how long they'll protect us spread-out like that."

Several seconds passed. "Well, we do what we can" Cor spoke then. "That's all there is to it, Iris."

"Yeah."

After that, it was just a long drive, but eventually they arrived at Hammerhead- late 2 PM, and the sky was already starting to lose some of it's brightness. Even as they got out of the car, Iris could see Cindy - or rather, her legs - sticking out from underneath a car, obviously working on it while Cid seemed to be inside the garage. Cid she could understand taking things calmly, because of his experience, but Cindy's only response to the prospect of eternal night was to work even harder. Iris knew she'd learned everything from her grandfather, but where had she gotten the desire to always take on hard work no matter what?

"Iris, I'll catch up later."

Nodding, Iris made sure to unpack the trunk as Cor moved away- among other things, Cindy had them intercept a shipment of stuff she needed.

A few moments later: "Cindy, it's Iris" she spoke, "We got the shipment you wanted."

"Well, that's just dandy, Iris" Cindy spoke with ease, even as sounds resulted from her work. "Place 'em next to the garage, and I'll take care of the rest. Once I'm done fixing this here sweet ride, I gotta help Paw-paw try and imitate those special headlights, now that we studied the design and all."

Despite herself, Iris was interested. "Special headlights?"

Evidently Cindy finished her work, for she soon slid out from underneath the car, even more dirty/grease-stained than normal - it didn't diminish her smile or her sincerity one bit. "The prince and his fellas helped out earlier" she explained, standing up and brushing herself off. "Headlights made from the Crown City's glory days, back when Paw-paw were still living there, and before the Wall went up. They're so gosh darn dazzingly bright, no daemon would come within a mile of it."

Hearing mention of Insomnia did give her a few flickers, but now she's surprised... was this why Cindy was working so hard?

"I think I see where you're going with that" Iris admitted, walking closer to the garage. "Helping make sure people are safer these days."

"It is a race until eternal darkness be with us" Cindy said, with several serious elements. "One that I intend to win."

Near the end of that last part, Cindy slowly looked up at the sky, one hand shading her face- it wasn't hard to notice that, in the short time since they'd last noticed, the sky had been gradually darkening. It couldn't have been any later than 3 PM now, and it's almost as if the sun is actually setting by now... not that it physically _is_ , but it's simply how far the Starscourge had progressed, able to leach the light at the rate it did.

Including the light of the moon; as the daylight disappeared, they often found moonlight seemingly getting dimmer, as well as the stars starting to get 'fuzzy'.

"Well I hope you succeed, Cindy" Iris breathed, faint. "But all the while, this eternal night is gonna mess us up, starting with sleep."

The slightest sound. "It'll be a hard transition, that's for sure" Cindy said, hand on her hip. "But with luck, once me and Paw-paw figure out the headlight secrets, we'll save lives. Daemons will be everywhere, but least we'd get some breathing room."

Several seconds passed.

"But course, that's all for later, when we actually get to those points" Cindy said, with more of her usual cheer. "Right 'bout now, I could go for some lunch. You in, dear?"

Right about then, Iris remembered that she'd forgotten about lunch (partly due to lingering over 'before'), and was thankful her stomach wasn't growling yet.

"Sure. I'd like that."

"Alright-y then; let's rustle us up something swell."

As it turns out, Cindy did occasionally clean herself of motor oil and grease, but only at mealtimes... heh, and it didn't last much longer than that. She's sure dedicated to her work, and Iris could begin to understand how Prompto was smitten with her, though perhaps her looks/outfit played a part in that too.

When she thought about Prompto being smitten, she remembered Noct, and it brought ghost sensations of his/their kiss to the fore...

A memory she's definitely hanging onto, whenever things got tough.

* * *

 _Hammerhead_

On one of the last days/weeks where they had _any_ daylight, some of their questions were answered by a surprise visitor.

With their group planning a trek across a major road, Iris slowly scanned their surroundings for daemons, and found it mixed- there were definitely a bunch hanging around, some visible by their own glow, and others only semi-visible when they moved at all. Still, a majority were in the open stretches, and she saw only one or two anywhere near the stretch of road she could see thus far-

-those 'Goblin' types, one of the weakest.

"Mmh, it looks easy thus far" Iris admitted, but feeling they'd be lucky if it stayed that way - right now, Cid and Cindy had gotten a second headlight operational, yet it flickered like there's no tomorrow and they're still looking for 'why'. "But it's a long drive..."

Not helping was that even as she watched, an Iron Giant seemed to unknowingly nudge a streetlight on a different road... with enough force that it bent several feet toward the concrete, it's lights flickering before going out entirely. Only adding to the work for everyone; if they fell, it'd impede road usage, and on foot was even more dangerous without chocobos-

-huh, what was that light?

At first it seemed to be far away, making her wonder how it's that bright, until she realized it was from something airborne. Iris tried to make out it's contours, still somewhat un-used to constant nighttime, but it seemed to be boxy and like a... wait, that's an imperial transport ship!

"Cor, we've got trouble!"

No less than three seconds later, he'd traversed the distance between herself and Dustin/Monica (who he'd been helping). "What is it, Iris?" he asked instantly, though by the time he finished, his gaze had already gone on the approaching ship. "Damn it."

Iris made a sound, thinking this is really bad; she'd fight, but if they brought along advanced mechs with that thing, they'd be in some trouble even with Cor around. Then she wondered why they're even _bothering_ anymore, since daemons didn't discriminate between them or other humans- it just didn't make any sense for them to focus on other people and not themselves, not with all these daemons about.

As the seconds passed, Cor took the binoculars from her hands, looking for a moment.

"Wait... that ship has a prominent red color scheme" he said, grim yet almost- almost hesitant. "I've heard rumors that the personal ship of Aranea Highwind is reported to be similar."

"Aranea Highwind? The Dragoon?" she asked, getting an offhand nod-

-but again, why? What's this all about!?

"They're opening up" Cor slowly said, and Iris tried to make this out for herself, despite not having an extra pair of binoculars on hand. Wait... yeah, it's true; the hatch or whatever was opening even as they flew this way, if more slowly than before, or so it seemed. "Two men are in front, and they're- they're waving white flags."

Her half-preparation for a fight stalled with that surprise. "Wait, they're saying they come in peace?" Iris wondered, more confused. "If Aranea's really on that ship, I want some answers at this point."

"Me too."

It took about another minute, but the ship eventually made it's way to a point directly beside the outpost, hovering some twenty-to-thirty feet above the ground. She and Cor both remained where they were, the latter with a hand on his katana, while she made sure to indicate Dustin and Monica should keep back - all the while, the two men remained holding the white flags-

-then standing at attention when another figure, a woman, stepped up between them.

"Glad to see anyone out here" she called down; it had to be Aranea, given the Niflheim-style armor she wore. "Name's Aranea Highwind; mind if I come down and talk? I'll be unarmed and all that junk."

Cor spoke evenly. "You can come down, but we'll be watching for any suspicious moves."

That seemed to amuse her, or perhaps it was approval instead. "How comforting" Aranea snarked, before with ease, she jumped from the ship and down toward the ground - her moves were practiced, and everything was so fluid too, including her landing. "Cor the Immortal; pleasure" she said, drawing herself up. "And you might be?"

"Um, Iris Amicitia" Iris managed, still very much aware of the 'beginner' sword held at her side. "I believe my brother mentioned meeting you, and apparently that you fought at one of the empire's bases."

A small raised eyebrow. "I'm gonna assume you mean the big guy with the scar over his eye. You do have similar hair colors." Aranea said, almost mild. "But regardless of that, we should get down to business. Unless you two have questions, in which I'd rather get those out of the way first."

"I'll start with the most important one then; why did the Empire attack Altissia?" Cor asked, right to the point-

-which again, seemed to agree with Aranea, due to her brief curved lip. "To put it simply, that was the chancellor's order, and no one has any idea why" she said, voice heavy with disdain and disgust. "Makes me glad I left with my men, because _no_ amount of money would've made me take part in that attack."

Iris slowly glanced at Cor, who returned the favor in a way, his expression saying to be cautious but go along with things for now.

"What about the emperor?" Cor continued, a bit shrewd. "Or Commander Ravus, for that matter? Did they play any part in that attack?"

Aranea slowly scoffed, if with a furrowed brow, seeming affected herself. "From what I last heard, the emperor is missing, highly presumed dead, long before the attack happened" she said, rather blunt. "Ravus has reportedly been executed, presumably by the chancellor, and the empire itself... is a teeming nation of daemons by now, including the daemon-born MT's, all thanks to said chancellor."

If it were possible to feel more shocked, all that just proved that they _couldn't_ \- Iris felt everything echoing, stunned, but her mind was saying it couldn't feel any stronger than this. Even Cor looked like he couldn't find the words, and suddenly his gaze was a bit unfocused, as if the entire worldview had (and did) just radically changed...

Clearly though, Aranea had had time to brood on this, for she was much better about it.

"It's a lot to take in" she said with sympathy. "But that's how it is, and it's why I'm here. In a word, I and my men are helping refuges get out of that hellhole, along with from Tenebrae, with many up there in the ship now. Survivors of a train attack, with more details if you want them later."

"...and you think that here... would be a good place?"

The words sounded numb on her tongue, thanks to everything-

-Aranea slowly looked at her. "Here, elsewhere; _anywhere_ where the people can be welcomed with open arms. The king and his guys suggested I come here first to announce myself, and get the word out" she said, somewhat subdued, before the snark came back. "And we'd appreciate it if everyone didn't try to shoot us down, thanks for asking."

Long seconds passed, and Iris couldn't _not_ think about what Aranea just said; it was so much to take in. In that moment, she wished the guys could be with her right now, especially Noct, or even that she could reach them via cellphone... but it seems they're out of range, or unable to answer right now...

Even still, a little time to process all this would be appreciated.

Cor slowly shifted. "I'll radio the Hunters, and explain that your ship is a friendly, along with the short version" he said, words heavier. "For now, I suggest you make Lestallum a haven for refugees, Aranea, those who you choose to bring there... it has the heaviest concentration of lighting equipment, though I cannot speak for other regions. Iris can show you it's location on a map, if you require it."

Iris heard, but took a little time for herself - by then, Cor had moved away (apparently speaking to Dustin/Monica), and she found Aranea close-by.

"You okay?" the other woman asked, surprisingly gentle - the surprise must've shown on her face, for Aranea chuckled. "I promise that I'm cool, collected, and snarky, but I'm not cold. More than anything, I just want to make sure we all survive this mess, and we'll do it by cooperation; that's all. I'm not an idiot to believe it can be otherwise."

Oh... wow, uh, that's- that's certainly not a side she'd expected of her.

"Right" Iris breathed, just managing it. "Uh, thanks, but I'm okay. Sorta... oh, the map."

"Lead on."

Never in a million years would Iris have guessed this would happen, walking alongside the Dragoon as a friend, rather than an enemy. It was a testament to how messed up the situation was, that it's a good type rather than just crazy... which everything else was...

After a time: "Hey, can I ask something?"

Aranea didn't look away from the map, still studying it, though from the looks of things she'd only needed a moment to reconfirm Lestallum's location. "Fire away."

"The chancellor; what does he look like? I know his name, but I don't have a face to go with it-"

"-and it'd give you a target to be angry at for this mess" the other woman finished for her, quite sympathetic. "Even if I'm wrong, I understand wanting to know" Aranea continued, and when Iris didn't refute this, continued: "Well, the now-former chancellor looks middle-aged, with red-violet hair... and he's an eccentric, patronizingly-polite creep who exaggerates every movement he does, among other things."

Aranea said more, but the moment she'd said 'red-violet hair', Iris unconsciously remembered back to Galdin Quay... and every other word only increased her (disbelieving) conviction that it's him. It had to be, and yet at the same time, it couldn't be-

 _That guy_ had done all this!?

* * *

 **Sometimes, it's a wonder how they can handle all the developments - the guys in-story, or Iris and the others from hearing them second-hand, if condensed**

 **Still, by this point the guys would be going through Chapter 13 - my favorite part of the game's entire second half lol, even if that's a minority opinion XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

 _The Crystal_

Noctis focused on breathing, slowly floating through some kind of void.

His heart was weighed down with everything, but in a rather subdued fashion now, as he slowly came to accept what's required of him. He's the Chosen King, with the only way he could kill Ardyn - his extremely-distant ancestor, creepy as that was - and end the Starscourge carried within that man's body, was to gather enough power and pay the blood price. He didn't feel like railing against things, but it did make him sad; only now did he fully appreciate the efforts Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto had all done for him, for sticking by his side. And even moreso, he appreciated the depth of Iris's affection for him... as he did the time that they'd spent together, even if it was all-together friendly, despite his attempts at teases near the end.

Once she got older, Iris would definitely be a fine woman, and perhaps he might've even returned her feelings, given time. But given what he'd learned now, how things would end... it just didn't seem in the cards for them at all. He slowly sighed, knowing that he'd already given her hope for them - starting to sorta-tease her as of late, given her a not-romantic 'thanks kiss'- heck, he'd even said "maybe" as his 'answer' to what's next for them. Maybe she knew that things weren't set in stone, that there was no guarantees or anything, but even still...

So matter what, when he was gone she'd be heartbroken.

"...well, if that's the case, I shouldn't indulge her anymore" Noctis whispered to himself, fingers tightening. "I don't regret what little we've done, but I can't support it now..."

After many more moments spent in silence, Noctis shifted, looking at the Ring of the Lucii... he prepared to draw himself into a comfortable-enough position; had to start gathering power at some point.

"My King."

He paused, blinking... did he imagine that?

Wait, wasn't that voice...?

Slowly, he turned in place-

-and there floating in front of him, was Luna.

His emotions suddenly in a knot, he couldn't find the words, though thankfully he wasn't outright staring- well, maybe a little, but out of sheer surprise. She looked exactly as he remembered from years-ago broadcasts, though her gaze held a mix of happiness and sadness, among other things.

"Luna" Noctis breathed after a few seconds, feeling... _a lot_ , quite simply. "I'm-I'm glad to see you. But I don't understand- how this is happening?"

She didn't seem surprised, but simply gave a little smile, hands held together near her chest. "I am glad too, King Noctis, despite the circumstances" Luna spoke, eyes closing. "Words cannot express my gratitude to- to be able to hear your voice, after all these years. But, to answer your question, the Six have granted this meeting to me, even as they consider my request. I wished to speak with you, just once, before you engage in your chosen duty."

"What request is that?"

"I cannot tell you, much as I wish it could be otherwise."

That surprised him a bit, though unlike before, he felt no urge to complain about how that's unfair. "They asked you not to speak of it?" Noctis asked; Luna simply nodded. "I see... well, I'm still glad we can talk at all, Luna."

At that, her eyes opened again, but her smile was more content now.

"Mmh" he breathed, considering that even now, speaking his feelings still isn't easy - despite that, he gave his best shot. "Through the years, I always remembered our promise to support each other, as King and Oracle, and how you wanted to end this plague" he said anyway, trying _hard_ not to mumble. "And Luna, I always- I always wondered if the way I felt about you... if it was just a strong bond from you saving me, or if it might be more. I-I wanted to see you again, a lot, to make sure which- which it might be."

"Even now, I still wish to support you, my King" Luna said, solemn and sincere. "And I felt similarly, always feeling strongly at the thought of seeing you again, to hear your voice again. I am not- I am not certain if it was truly romantic in feeling, not as things were, but it may have evolved into such if things were different."

He slowly glanced down, feeling weights in his chest.

"Yeah" Noctis whispered, heavy. "If thing's had been different. But this is how it is, and I... right now, I don't think I feel that way."

After a moment, her fingers moved underneath his chin, enough to lift his head even. Luna was still smiling, removing her fingers as she remained at a respectable distance: "Even though our feelings aren't as they might have been, I still care for you, and I regret nothing" she stated, gentle. "If your feelings are for another, you should express them."

His mouth twisted slightly, if massively glad she wasn't upset- she did want him to be happy, just like he'd thought.

"Even though it's my fate to die, Luna?" he asked, almost with a rasp before he suppressed it. "Wouldn't that just be cruel to her?"

Her only answer was to bring her hands up, touching the sides of his head, and kissing his forehead.

"I think that if you do not, you will regret it" Luna whispered to him, eyes closing again- her form began to disappear. "One way, or another."

By the time she finished, she'd vanished entirely, leaving him to make a sound...

Regret it?

Noctis knew he'd regret that he and Iris couldn't be together (possibly anyway), but the simple confidence in Luna's voice, her words- she was referring to something else there. He saw part of the logic, at least at first glance: if he was with Iris and indulging in small affections, despite his fate, it'd leave her with even more good memories... which might make the pain easier to bear, perhaps.

But wouldn't it still be cruel? All things considered, now he wasn't sure, but he had to choose which was the right choice before anything else.

He floated there for a long time, thoroughly debating the merits of everything, Luna's words prominent among those thoughts. In the end, he decided that whatever she meant by that statement, whatever the reason behind her urging, he'd trust in it - he owed her that much, and would honor his promise as well.

Slowly, he drew his knees up to his chest, eyes closing-

-the Ring of the Lucii began to glow, even as he remembered.

 _The 'eternity' that he and the guys spent pushing the Regalia, with Iris doing her best to cheer them on, plus her giving her water bottle - their group picture with the Regalia, and Iris's 'surprise' during it - all the various times they'd spent together, whether early on with Iris joining him, or several of the times it was just him and the guys - memories of the important people in his life then: of Luna, both as a child, and the times he'd seen her/heard her on the news; memories of Iris, starting with the time that he'd saved her, along with the various times they'd hung out, or even her supporting him after Luna's death; memories of dad, and how they'd always spent time together in the Regalia; memories of the guys themselves, including several of the individual moments at camp, or near camp._

All of this made him feel so much, and Noctis just drew himself tighter, the Ring's glow getting brighter and brighter.

* * *

Turns out Aranea had the right idea; all the shock, all the tears, all the _worry_... just kinda turned into anger once she actually had someone to blame. Luckily for everyone involved, it just took the form of angry tears, knowing that that guy - Ardyn Izunia - was the real reason Insomina had been invaded, why all these tragedies had happened, and even why everything was as bad as it was.

Directly, indirectly; it didn't matter to her right now - Iris wanted to punch his lights out, quite literally, and she's sure Gladdy would approve.

...still, despite that anger, things carried on as before; they'd been lucky on their previous trip, as only the lesser Goblin daemons got close enough to be a danger. Even with her small-yet-growing experience, they weren't a match for her, particularly when she used her punch/kick attacks to keep them off-balance, even as Aranea easily swept through them on the opposite side. At the moment, Cor and Aranea were staying in Lestallum to pursue other tasks, Talcott staying as well, but Iris simply headed back to Hammerhead afterward, that time managing to avoid the gaze of any daemons.

A stroke of luck, but certainly not gonna look it in the mouth.

Still, it was a relief to pull up into Hammerhead's sanctuary; a guaranteed safe zone, unlike most other places.

Now she was on watch duty, partly to rest from further sword training... everything looked normal, though she was unnerved when she spotted a Red Giant in the distance; hard to miss with the flaming sword.

If that thing turned toward anywhere, it could be a major prob-

 _Bang_

-Iris jolted as the sound burst through the air. The moment she looked over, she was startled to see that a light had spontaneously appeared in the sky... at least until recognition set in; Prompto had fired such a shell several times during their adventuring together!

Quickly, she focused her binoculars in that direction, looking... come on, you guys have to be there...

When she finally found their figures, they were steadily moving in this direction, and she couldn't make out many details due to distance. One was moving forward, another supported him with covering fire (had to be Prompto), and yet another seemed to keep the daemon's attention off them for a bit. Despite her best efforts though, she could only see three figures before the starshell burned away, leaving it difficult to see anything at all. Still, by that point she was already moving, hurrying to one of the perimeter's searchlights mounted up here... she managed to turn the thing on and move it with effort, aiming it in their direction.

Two minutes later, after she kept wriggling it to get their attention, they made it into the path of the searchlight's beam; the daemons thankfully didn't try to follow, thankfully, but she was already climbing down.

"Gladdy!"

Her brother met her running hug with a welcome grunt, his grip tight but she barely noticed. "Iris" he breathed, voice almost-cracking from the relief. "It's good to see you."

"Ditto" Iris breathed, breaking into a smile for the first time in days. "And not just you, Gladdy. I'm glad to see all you guys back."

Even as she finished, she looked at Prompto and Ignis, the former of which managed a small smile and waved a hand. "It's good to be back on safe ground again" he said, even as he stayed close to Ignis. "At least, for now anyway."

"Yes, I daresay we'll have to adjust to our new situation, after a period of rest" Ignis said, a bit subdued. "We've needed that these past few days."

Maybe it was that statement or the 'welcome back' sensations starting to settle, but Iris only just realized a few things. One, Noct wasn't with them, and two, something seemed completely off with Ignis- wait, his eyes were staying closed and... and sections of his face were scarred?

"What's happened?" she asked, the worry growing stronger; it didn't help that the guys seemed to grow still. "Gladdy? Where's Noct?"

"...that's a long story" he said shortly, not looking at her.

Iris barely had a second to process things before Ignis sighed: "It's best we explain it then, right away" he said, before turning his head in Prompto's general direction. "Prompto, is the caravan nearby?"

"Yeah, the table and chairs are there, over to your left. They're empty right now."

"That'll do just fine."

With Prompto staying close, keeping him aimed toward said chairs, Ignis made his way over there... Iris could only look after them, struggling against a growing disbelief. Then she slowly looked at Gladdy, hoping it wasn't what she's thinking-

-true to form, her brother gave her the truth, even if he didn't like it one bit.

"In the efforts to evacuate Altissia during Leviathan's summoning, Iggy suffered injuries" he said, grim and tense; his mouth was set pretty tight. "He's blind, Iris, and he believes it's permanently so."

No... no, that- that couldn't be...!

Gladdy's hand touched her shoulder then, grip tight and semi-turning her toward the caravan. "Come on."

Unconsciously, Iris did follow her brother (for what she didn't know), but her mind was elsewhere the entire- part of her wanted to say this all wasn't fair. But in the presence of her brother, that wasn't a good idea, even if he might agree with the sentiment... mmh.

...

At first, the guys had asked what she knew of events, and Iris told them the truth. Based on what Aranea had told them, she knew about Leviathan's awakening, that the empire had attacked during the whole thing, and that Ardyn was responsible... and also that the empire in general was supposedly overrun by daemons.

"That about sums it up, for us too" Prompto spoke, quiet. He'd been subdued ever since they got here, rather still, and with his hands almost always held together. "At least, until the end."

"By which he means the empire location of Gralea, specifically Zegnautus Keep" Ignis spoke, heavy. "It was where Insomnia's Crystal was kept after the invasion, and we thought it our best chance of ending the eternal night, and ridding the world of daemons. Noct, myself, and Gladio had determined this turn of events... while Prompto had been kidnapped prior to that talk, held within that same location before we rescued him."

"All Ardyn's doing" Gladdy said, leaning against the wall. "That damn bastard."

As much as Iris agreed, her heart was still bracing itself for the worst; something had happened, and she needed to know now.

"But once you got there?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

"The key events are this" Ignis continued, if equally reluctant. "We went in by train, but then had to take the Regalia... which was damaged beyond repair just as we got there. Then we were separated from Noct, who had his powers suspended by Ardyn, only able to survive by wearing the Ring of the Lucii as he later told us; eventually we regrouped."

Prompto shifted in place. "By the time we did, Noct had clearly gone through a lot; he sounded like a true King there" he breathed, hands tightening. "And a great friend."

"Just like King Regis knew he'd be" Iris whispered herself, eyes closed - despite everything that's happened, that made her feel a little better. "Just as you all knew he'd become, myself included."

Gladio slowly moved over, standing beside her seat, a hand on her shoulder. "It was about time" he said, faint but a little lighter. "After everything, I'm glad it wasn't for nothing."

Her lip almost curved at his 'macho' answer, but couldn't even do that much... because she knew this tale wasn't over.

"So then, what happened?"

A few moments of silence.

Ignis sighed. "Noct got to the Crystal alone, due to circumstances" he stated, listless now. "But by the time the three of us caught up, Noct was gone, apparently absorbed into it. Ardyn taunted us by saying it was to gather power, to fulfill his destiny, and that he would be waiting for that day. No matter what we did, the Crystal would not respond to us before it vanished, and much as we tried... we could not kill Ardyn ourselves. He is apparently immortal that way to ordinary attacks."

To say her heart's conflicted was an understatement- Noct gone (but not dead), and that Ardyn guy still walking around? She'd seen her brother wield a sword, and she knew Ignis and Prompto were no slouches either; they could be seriously lethal if they wanted to...

And Noct-

-unbidden, the memory of his entirely-awkward kiss came back up, and she clung to it.

"Well, if that's the case, when will he be back?" Iris forced out, briefly shaking.

No one answered... her heart twisted when she saw they literally didn't _have_ that answer. And until he came back, they literally had no choice but to wait - wait and survive in this world, where no light but their technology variant could be seen, and daemons roamed _everywhere_.

Inwardly, Iris shook again, just trying to reconcile this realization.

After that, she kinda zoned out of the conversation, too inwardly-occupied to pay any attention- later the guys would try to make sure she's okay, but for now Iris just slipped away from them. When she finally stopped, she found herself facing north of Hammerhead, the still-glowing runes of the nearest campsite visible some hundreds of feet away... daemons were probably nearby, yet for now the space between the campsite and Hammerhead looked empty. It wouldn't stay that way forever though - this was how they would live from now on. Unconsciously, she remembered: her tease when Cindy took their picture of the Regalia, the various little one-on-one talks they'd had, their 'date' along with the whole gifts business, followed by the sensations of- of their kisses, particularly his.

Her hands slowly came together, which she eventually rested her forehead against.

 _"...if that's what it takes, then so be it. Noct, we'll do our best; I promise you that, wherever you are right now."_

She knew that's what he'd want... but even still, a few tears leaked from her eyes.

* * *

 **And now, we have a mentally-grown Noctis to-be-involved - but first, some exploration of the plague's eternal night, outside of the obvious fights against daemons, before that happens.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

Honestly, the years since the advent of eternal night all blurred together- a constant batch of darkness, with the usual passage of the sun/moon visible only as a 'patch' of light moving across-and-behind the darkness itself, and running/hiding from/fighting daemons. Except for the Red Giants and other similarly powerful daemons, they were manageable solo, and they were specifically hunted as such... and when possible, they would divide groups of daemons by distractions of various types. In fact, within months even she'd stopped worrying about not being able to face them by herself, sorta-gaining a hardened edge like Gladdy, though that was only during the fights (because it was kill-or-be-killed). Then much like Aranea and Cor, Iris soon found herself being referred to - somewhat reverently - as a 'daemon-slayer', and after awhile she grew to like the title a little, if not so much the change in people's behavior toward her.

Iris the Daemon-Slayer.

Anyway, at first it wasn't so repetitive, not really; they'd been going back-and-forth between settlements so many times, havens included whenever they needed to stop/rest, and it actually seemed fast. But as the days wore on, less and less places were able to light themselves up thanks to daemon interference... and without the protection of lighting, no one felt they could hold any of the small settlements long enough to attach new light fixtures.

Thankfully Lestallum was okay, due to the power plant, as was Hammerhead due to rigging up it's own centralized power sources.

It was quickly determined that Lestallum was the only safe place for civilians on the continent, due to it's size as well as the vast array of lighting equipment- with the constant stream of refugees, no matter where they were found or from what direction, they needed the big city to hold everyone. While the usual money/service system wasn't entirely abandoned there, it definitely made more of an impact nowadays to _do_ things, then get a favor done in return. As for Hammerhead, Iris managed to convince Cor to have the Hunters set up there, and welcome anyone who wanted to protect their families/loved ones. Though first thing they did was make a serious raid on the previous HQ; if nothing else, the entire supply of light-element weapons previously sold there would be invaluable against daemons.

Plus, Iris doubted Cid or Cindy could be convinced to abandon their garage; with this, they'd be protected and everyone would be better off that way, since they're the best mechanics around. It was pretty telling that Gladdy, Ignis, and Prompto all agreed without hesitation, since they were the ones who knew Cid/Cindy best, since they were most familiar with her personality.

But all that was just on this continent- they soon lost contact with Accordo and Tenebrae.

No one knew whether the silence was mere equipment trouble... or worse, and no one dared voiced it either, lest they jinx it.

Regardless, many moments came and went - good and bad - but there were a few that she vividly remembered from the first year, because they were brief highlights in the dark, action-y, life-always-in-danger struggle that quickly became the norm.

Or maybe 'escapes from the struggle' was the right phrase.

* * *

 _Hammerhead_

 _6 months_

"So Cindy?"

"What is it?"

Iris took a moment, finding the right words even as Cindy worked on carefully sharpening her sword- after all, if it went dull, killing daemons would become harder.

"Call it random, but I always wondered before... if a guy was into you enough, romantically, what would it take for you to accept that?" she wondered, if a bit sheepish. "I mean, I know your work is the most important thing to you, but if it did happen, would you actually take it?"

Cindy was surprised, but too experienced to let it affect her work. "Well, that's a mighty odd thing to be asking of me, Iris, especially nowadays" she admitted, almost playful. "It's almost funny that you're 'just' curious enough to ask that."

"I _am_ curious though" Iris assured, as it's true. "I mean, someone like you doesn't need to work to get guys' attention; it's just that you don't seem to have much interest" she continued, if mild. "I was wondering if maybe you had high standards or something."

Cindy laughed a little, even as she made several adjustments to the sharp edges. "Well, having little interest is true, but high standards? I guess ya'll could say that, yet they be more specific than high" she said, quite easily.

Interested now, Iris privately thought that this should help a lot...

"Specific, huh" she said casually, curious. "So let's see if I got this right. If a guy met these 'specific' standards of yours, then you might start to be interested?"

"'Might' is the right word there, Iris" Cindy added, though her eyes were twinkling with amusement. "I'm like any other gal, in that there's no guarantees or nothing such. And even if I be interested, who knows if it'd last or not?"

"Yeah, of course; just making sure."

Cindy stood up then, turning the sword over and looking at it carefully for a few seconds. "Well, glad I could help ya out, odd as that conversation was" she said, cheery; Iris just giggled, but thanked her as she took her sword back.

"If I may also ask, what are those specifics?" she asked, a little sheepish. "I mean, if I don't know, I might just assume."

"Well, if ya'll insist" Cindy said, seeming to figure 'why not', if still amused. "It's basically two different things. One, that the guy would have to be pretty 'vested in mechanics, able to help out beyond simply handing me tools... plus they gotta understand that for me, work will always be an important part of my life. And two, they can't want affection all the time. Much as it'd be sugary, I always preferred actual company more, able to enjoy the moments as they come hither. It's certainly not normal, but that doesn't disagree with me one bit."

"Maybe it isn't normal, but you shouldn't try to change it" Iris assured her. "And neither should guys demand you change for them either. But if someone like that does come around, at least promise you'll try, Cindy" she added, before grinning. "If you want, even call it a dare."

Cindy soon grinned, as if interested. "A dare?" she repeated, a little playful. "Can't exactly resist something like that there. But while I'll take that there dare, Iris, first there has to be such a guy to try it with."

"Well, here's hoping one shows up then. But for now, I'll see you later." Iris said, friendly-playful in return, choosing right then to walk away-

-she heard Cindy chuckle, though with what she wasn't certain.

Still, whew! At points there, she'd been worried Cindy might catch onto her- after all, it could've sounded like she's trying to set her up, or wanted her to find a guy. But instead, she'd managed to make it sound entirely hypothetical, as if it could happen but otherwise was just a curious question she's asking - although, there was a slight feeling that maybe Cindy knew what she was doing, but was just playing along.

Well Cindy, if you can wait awhile, then that dare's about to be tested.

...

Iris had to wait awhile, as Prompto was out on a hunt, but eventually the gunslinger rolled back into town- he did have a small scratch or two, but he was fine. Still, he did have to wait a little for the gates to open up - they and the barbed fences were an extra line of defense, just in case daemons braved the light anyway.

It happened rarely.

"Prompto, hey" she greeted, moving over. "Did you kick their asses?"

"Very much, though a Red Giant tried to interfere" he said, a bit sheepish by the end. "Then I had to run, but I got a good shot in. Ducked underneath it's leg, stabbed it with a sharp rock, then shot a starshell down the wound."

Iris pretty made a 'Yowl'-type sound, sympathizing despite herself- that kind of wound was something else.

"Well, least you got away."

"Yes, but now I need to rest" Prompto said, laying down and 'flopping' himself upon the concrete. "It was a long walk... too long even; I didn't know if I'd make it by the end."

Iris hummed a little, knowing he's playing that up, but let him go on with his little spiel; in these days, they _needed_ some humor.

"Well, maybe this will cheer you up" Iris said knowingly, tilted toward him, hands in front. "Cindy's here right now."

His head lifted almost right away, before he made a sound, and it went back down. "Eh, she's probably busy working" Prompto said with a soft sigh. "And I have no good reason to go near her, plus nothing to say."

"Surely you want to see her."

"Of course I do, Iris. But I need material to work with, and right now I got nothing."

Iris grinned right about then. "Oh really?" she asked, a bit knowing. "Because earlier I was talking with her, and managed to get a little 'girl talk' out of her."

At that, his brow furrowed in confusion, probably because he's wondering exactly what that meant.

Carefully sitting down on the ground beside him, she held a hand near her mouth. "Turns out, Cindy may _seem_ to have no romantic interest in general, but that's only because she has specific standards" she whispered in a conspiratorial tone. "Unless a guy meets those standards, she won't even _start_ to see if the guy might be anything more than a friend, let alone potentially show interest."

Even seconds after she finished, Prompto's expression definitely looked 'stunned'. Until, in zero-to-sixty: "Dude, why didn't you start with that!?" he said, a bit too loudly, though he quickly realized this. "Iris, you gotta swear this isn't a joke or else-"

"No jokes" Iris said easily. "I wouldn't get your hopes up for nothing."

Part of the intensity deflated, though he seemed overall flustered, energetic, and other things. "Well then, what are they?" Prompto asked, his breathing a bit heavier. "Come on, tell me!"

Making sure no one else was nearby, Iris stood up- since Prompto had abandoned his tired laying-down 'persona', he was quick to follow. "First up, he has to seriously know his way around garage stuff. Mechanics, tools, and the works - not just an assistant who hands stuff over or goes to fetch it, but someone who could work alongside her for real. That'd take some time to learn" she said, adding that last bit so he knew what he's getting into. "And second, he can't be the type who expects or wants constant affection; she's more of a company type than anything, and work is the most important thing to her, which there is no changing in Cindy's case."

"Oh man" he breathed in wonder, before his hands went to her shoulders, shaking them a bit. "Iris, I seriously owe you for this. You have no idea."

She just smiled. "Don't thank me yet, Prompto; this route to her heart is quite the involved one" Iris said, he taking his hands off then. "I know you're smitten with her, but you have to be absolutely sure of what you're getting into."

"Yeah, of course" Prompto said quickly, gaze going off. "So, if I were to do this, I'd have to ask Cindy to teach me. Or if she's too busy, Cid instead... but most importantly, gotta be willing to learn for real. Can't play it weird, or _just_ as means to win her heart, or anything like that!"

Iris hummed again. "I think my work here is done" she said, a little knowing, "Good luck, and make sure she doesn't hear a word of this."

Prompto did make an effort to nod, acknowledging her, but his mind remained elsewhere.

As she started walking away, Iris really did hope that he succeeds; if he loves Cindy that much and that sincerely, he deserves a proper shot at least. Still, Iris made sure to stretch out her muscles in preparation- after all, Talcott had set up more training with her, which her sword had needed to be sharp for in the first place.

"Still so young, but in time he'll need these skills" Iris breathed to herself, running through what she should say, with said lessons taken from Cor's expertise. "When blocking with a sword, use the flat part of the blade, rather than the edge; this will help make sure it stays sharp longer. And also-"

/

 _Lestallum_

 _1 year_

Iris sighed, standing on a balcony, looking up at the sky... it was 'actual' night, according to their clocks and the dim behind-the-black 'light', but otherwise you couldn't tell the difference at all. Lestallum was a fairly big city, but it simply wasn't meant to house this many people; all rooms were basically stuffed full, people laying in whatever floor space was available (with who got the beds basically who-got-there-first), but even that didn't cover everyone. Many had to make do in makeshift shelters outside, though at least everyone had a rotating system of who got to be where - some were even kind enough to guve up the best spaces, beds, or chairs to certain people. Iris knew she was one of them, as the people revered her as a Daemon-Slayer, and so half-the-time they insisted she take the comfortable spaces.

She did appreciate the attention (even when it made her feel weird), but more than anything, she wished the wind could properly take away the smell... even after becoming nose-blind, the smell of too many people huddled together was _always_ there. On the flip-side though, this made some other bad smells nowhere near as bad as they were before, particularly those of the Chocobo herds Wiz had managed to herd into the outer city spaces - particularly since they helped out with rushing across the countryside-

"Tell me that isn't a pick-up-line. _Please._ "

Really surprised, Iris looked down, and found that the line had come from Aranea- snarky and cool, just like always. She was standing in an alleyway close to this balcony, and hadn't seemed to notice her... Iris couldn't see who she's talking to, but the voice soon made that clear:

"*chuckle* Sorry, but I don't do pick-up-lines" Gladdy's voice answered, if currently unseen from where she stood. "When I ask someone if we can have a drink together, I mean _exactly_ that. If I'd wanted a date, I would've said so, and only if I thought the woman had any interest in me too. Thus far it doesn't look like you have any in me."

Really surprised, Iris made sure to crouch down, not making a sound- this was potentially-juicy stuff.

Aranea raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "Well, least you're not trying to fawn all over me big guy" she said, more easily. "Even if it's an exaggeration of other guys, in every sense. And even if I was messing with you."

"Other guys would have to be idiots to think you're not attractive" her brother responded, un-offended and a bit knowing. "You're also strong, and can handle yourself against anyone. That's attractive."

"True, but tell that to the other guys, because now's really not the time for rushed romance, or sex. Not to mention that I'm out of their league, including your blonde-haired friend, Prompto; his crush was obvious when we went to get that mythril."

Gladdy finally appeared in the alleyway, moving ahead a bit, waving an arm briefly. "Prompto crushes on any women he thinks is cool" he said, more amused for a moment. "But it's mainly an instinctive reaction; his heart truly belongs to Cindy, and even now he's trying to win her heart, slowly but surely. So no doubt he's lost interest in you by now."

Aranea shrugged. "Here's hoping" she said, mild. "Still, it's been over a minute and you haven't cracked whatsoever, so I guess the drink offer is valid."

"Always was valid."

"Then you're buying this round, since you insisted."

"Wasn't that obvious?" Gladdy 'asked'; even from up here, she could tell he's grinning.

After that, distance made their conversation semi-indistinct, where Iris slowly stood up from her spot- she had a mischievous smile.

Oh Gladdy; he's definitely interested, regardless of whether it might be low-key or not - or that's the mischievous side of her talking hehe, with other parts reminding herself that for her brother, interest and romantic like/love were two different things. Still, Aranea seemed to be have no interest in romance either, if in a different way than Cindy... Gladdy might be sincere about the hanging-out for drinks, but the only question is if his interest's big enough to warrant potential romance, now or later.

A question that she _definitely_ intended to find out about.

 _"Mmh, it's another dose of crazy"_ Iris thought then, the mischief starting to fade. _"Before, the thought of Gladdy and Aranea being friends, possibly 'more' would've been unthinkable, just because she worked for the empire. Now that hardly matters, since she's proven herself to be a pretty cool woman; just look at all the refugees she herds in, and the daemons she and her men slay."_

Every day they and the Hunters always found more and more refugees, even as people also suffered injuries (or worse) in return from daemons. It's a good thing that while they regularly 'live' in Lestallum and/or Hammerhead, they all made regular trips across the landscape - it was effective at drawing daemons away, and any stragglers they could find helped a bunch, though they couldn't have done so without the havens.

"Still, if things did lean toward romance, they might be another slow-burn like Prompto and Cindy" Iris breathed to herself, thinking. "Or at least I think it's one for them."

However, the thought of Prompto and Gladdy (possibly) finding potential girlfriends suddenly caused her heart to start aching...

...and the answer wasn't hard to guess at.

As easily as breathing now, she felt the ghost sensations of Noct's awkward not-romantic thank-you kiss, along with her own follow-up kiss. For a moment, a longing that Noct should be here with them (and her) tried to claw it's way up, before Iris grunted, regaining control of herself.

 _"If I start going there, I'll- I'll start falling into despair. He wouldn't want that."_

So right about then, she decided to leave this room, and go get some (sorta-)fresh air or something.

...

On the outskirts of the city, but still within the brightly-lit areas (and fenced-off metal work), Iris tried to keep from thinking about Noct too much. Soon however, she heard a number of thunks nearby- she found that it was Ignis, practicing throwing daggers and javelins.

Naturally, she waited till he'd finished a throw.

"Ignis" she said, trying to sound light. "You're still trying to perfect your aim?"

A little sound. "If you would do me a favor, Iris, don't try and talk me out of it" he said, turning toward her general direction (but pretty close). "I don't encounter Gladio and Prompto as often nowadays, but I get enough of this from them, as well as others."

"Mmh. Sorry, I just- I'm worried."

A small lip curve, and Ignis inclined his head. "I acknowledge that that's the reason behind everyone's concern, and I do appreciate it" he said, moving toward her at a slow pace. "But if I don't adapt, I believe I would soon go stir-crazy. My skills are valuable, even blind, and I would help keep daemons away from everyone. Just as Gladio and Prompto do, alongside yourself, Cor, and Aranea; it is the least we can do, until Noct gets back."

Iris slowly looked down, hands moving against each other. "Keeping daemons away, I definitely can't argue with..."

A moment, where his brow furrowed slightly. "Iris, you sound as if your mind's away from your words" Ignis said, almost curious. "And it seems to involve Noct, since mentioning his name began it."

She gave no answer.

"I'll take that as a yes" he ventured, moving closer - he managed to touch his hand to her shoulder, after a second carefully determining her location. "In fact, I'd hazard a guess something happened between you and Noct, before we left for Altissia. Something romantically-inclined, even."

"...guess our acting wasn't good enough" Iris breathed, but a little glad someone else knew. "We um- we k-kissed, twice, though Noct did the first as a 'thank-you', and was too surprised to return mine. He didn't exactly mind though, and even said after he got back, implied that maybe... things _might_ happen, because that certainly hadn't made us official."

After a moment: "Well, least Noct was finally manning-up" Ignis said, a touch amused, though there were some curious undertones. "Does Gladio know of this?"

"I'm not sure; I haven't said anything and he hasn't asked, both of us having other things to worry about. Though as far as Noct returning my feelings... he's at least partly okay with it. I mean, he hasn't told me to get over my crush or move on, before all this happened... or during it."

"Then I'd say you should tell him, assuming he hasn't already figured it out" he advised, before patting her shoulder. "And Iris?"

She looked up, making a sound.

He was smiling. "Noct will come back" he said simply, gentle. "You must not ever give up hope about that."

Feeling a lot, Iris choose to answer that in a hug- while a little surprised, he returned it for the short time it lasted. "Thanks, Ignis" she breathed, smiling herself. "I never intended to give up, but sometimes I might just need to hear things like that."

"Anytime" Ignis assured, before turning. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should get back to practicing. Or would you care to join me?"

Her first instinct was to shake her head, before she remembered he couldn't see that. "I think I'll pass" she admitted, hands behind her. "I came out here to get some fresh air, clear my mind. Talking with you has done that."

He inclined his head again. "Glad to be of service. But don't be surprised if I start helping out on hunts soon enough, even if I won't be working solo for a long while."

"Yeah... alright. I'll see you later."

* * *

 **Ah Iris, making sure Prompto knows how to approach Cindy, and being interested in her brother's potential moves (even if that one wasn't really), hehe. Though I admit, thinking up conditions for Cindy that plausibly fit her established work-heavy character- that took some effort.**

 **But they are pretty cute themselves, I think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

 _Angelgard_

 _Off the coast of Galdin Quay; 10 years later_

 _"The light waxes full"_ Bahamut spoke. _"Go forth to the kingdom, where the Usurper waits. Reclaim the throne, and fulfill your calling as the True King."_

Seconds passed, the sensations changing... Noctis slowly opened his eyes, finding himself no longer within the Crystal. He didn't immediately register his surroundings, but he seemed to be sitting in an ancient prison of some sort, or that's the impression he got from the aged stones. He also seemed to feel subtly different in several ways, but nothing that was too much - that confused him a little, wondering how long he'd been in the Crystal. After a moment, barking sounded up, making him turn his head in that direction, seeing an entrance to this place... the owner of that barking must be outside right now, waiting for him.

Carefully, he stood up, making his way over - a familiar dog was waiting for him, a piece of paper in his mouth.

"Umbra" Noctis breathed, smiling a little; it's good to see him again.

Without wasting any time, Umbra offered him the piece of paper, and he took it-

-but before he read it, he glanced around the place for a bit.

Scattered around the entrance to this ancient prison were giant swords, which made him believe this place had some connection to Bahamut... then he finally noticed it was nighttime. Looking up, his mouth twisted a little as he saw that the sky was almost-completely black, but this made him even more determined to end it, to end Ardyn and save everyone, as needed to be done.

Noctis slowly looked down, his heart heavier...

"'Be waiting, in Hammerhead'" he quietly read aloud, knowing this would be it.

He'd see the guys again, and then they'd settle things one way or the other, even if he had to go it alone at the end. And if he's lucky, he'll see Iris again and thank her for everything, maybe even a little more- it'll be difficult to keep all this hidden from them, especially in his demeanor, but he'll do it.

He must.

Then he noticed a coastline in the distance, and took a minute determining the darkened shapes...

"That's Galdin Quay" Noctis breathed in recognition. "Which means this place is that island, Angelgard."

But Galdin Quay didn't look good; the place was completely darkened... there wasn't a single hint of light, natural or artificial...

Umbra barked again, drawing his attention; the dog had moved closer to the water, standing in front of a boat- wait, that was dad's boat, which they'd gone to Altissia in. He briefly wondered how this had been left here for him, but let out a breath, grateful for this stroke of luck all the same - least he wouldn't have to swim into Galdin Quay.

"Are you coming?" he breathed, directed at Umbra-

-who immediately jumped on-board.

"Alright then; let's get this show on the road" Noctis said, fairly serious by the end, ready to face whatever's thrown at him. Stepping onto the deck, he spent a moment familiarizing myself with the controls, before he started the engine and turned on the front lights.

With a growing roar, the boat detached itself from the shoreline, and he steered it toward Galdin Quay.

/

 _Later_

Iris made a sound, hoping she can get there in time- soon as she'd heard that the guys needed her, she'd quickly cleaned herself off and got driving.

Whenever Gladdy, Prompto, and Ignis got together, that usually meant something big was happening nowadays, usually but-not-always meaning the biggest daemons. It's not that they kept out-of-touch, but they definitely didn't _physically_ hang out as much, so she'll be damned if she's gonna miss this chance, even if it means staying up all night (which still applied, even in this eternal night). Thankfully she didn't have much to worry about while driving, seeing as the car had one of the few dozen pairs of 'enhanced' headlights - they 100% discouraged deamons from stepping onto the roads. Cindy and Cid had recreated them in the last six years, even if they were lesser-quality than the Regalia's, but they were still a godsend in these times..

Despite the fact that no one's ever been attacked with them, Iris kept her instincts on alert, keeping note of all daemons she saw..

Finally though, she saw the brightly-lit, heavily-fenced-off barriers of Hammerhead, with no signs of daemons for some hundred-plus feet. As she'd called ahead to Cindy, the west-most gate opened up almost immediately for her car, and Iris made sure to drive in quickly- by the time she turned off the engine/got out, the gate had closed behind her.

Looking around for a moment, she soon noticed movement inside Takka's place - seconds later, Gladdy, Ignis, and Prompto exited the building.

They didn't seem to have noticed her; their words were indistinct, with whoever they're talking to appearing to still be inside. She couldn't make them out from where she's standing, but the guys were pretty cheery overall- Iris smiled, thinking this is probably gonna be interesting... however, soon all three of the guys began to walk away toward the garage.

 _That_ threw her off, as she'd expected them to be on the lookout for her, since they'd asked her to come and all!

However, just as Iris resolved to call over and ask them what's up, another person stepped out of Takka's place-

-and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

He hadn't noticed her yet, looking after the retreating figures of the guys, his mouth curving in a half-smile - he looked a lot like before, but there were several differences. Mostly though, his demeanor had changed: instead of the laid-back, almost lazy pseudo-slouch he'd usually worn, now he held himself entirely regal, not unlike his late father.

The word came without her realizing: "Noct?"

A bit surprised, he turned toward her- just as his appearance had stunned her, the registration that she's standing there got a similar reaction. In fact, though she didn't realize it, his eyes had briefly looked her up and down, noticing how she'd changed - a few inches taller, slightly-longer hair, and a touch more muscular - but mostly he didn't look away from her.

"Iris?" he breathed, partly wondering. "Is that you?"

Some funny sound came out of her mouth, and her vision briefly blurred as she shook, before Iris absolutely grinned.

She ran forward-

-Noct jolted, looking like he wasn't prepared, before he instinctively tried to do just that.

She collided against him, hard enough that he was pushed back two-and-a-half steps, both of them making quite a few sounds in the process. By the end, her arms were wrapped around his back, head resting in the crook of his neck - her heart was pounding, and she barely kept herself from shaking (again).

"Woah woah, easy there" Noct said, half-laughing for a little, his arms moving over her back. "Easy."

His voice... though it was mild, it'd grown deeper, and carried weight behind every word...

"Oh Noct, it's been so long" Iris whispered, breath heavier as she pulled back, if not letting go- he didn't seem to mind. She spent a moment marveling over his little changes, like how his hair had flattened on top/in the back - along with how it'd turned a little grey as well - and his new facial hair. "It's really you."

"Yeah, it's me" Noct agreed, before one hand brushed along her bangs, and briefly touched her cheek too. "But look at you, Iris; you've grown."

If she weren't so dazed, part of her would've wondered about that; as it was, she was just so happy.

"Not too much" Iris assured, more soft. "But I really like your beard."

A small sheepish chuckle, but his little smile stayed put, even as both his hands hesitantly settled around her hips. "Thank you."

For a little, they just looked at each other- she didn't register that he seemed to be expecting something from her, as she then glanced down a little.

"I think I already know the answer, but... am I dreaming?"

A bit of surprise, before Noct shook his head.

"You're not; I'm here to save everyone" he assured, though when she looked back up, she saw his mouth twitch once. "But also, I'm a bit surprised, Iris. I thought you'd- well, that you probably would've... kissed me by now."

Even in her dazed state, Iris didn't know what was more surprising: that comment, or how he said it. Sure, she _definitely_ wanted to kiss him, and only semi-flimsy reasons were holding her back right now... but he'd said that with few issues whatsoever; barely flustered or uncertain, at least on the outside.

Noct had grown, and not just physically- this realization 'helped' her warm cheeks (in more ways than one).

"Well, I'm- I'm just so glad to see you, Noct" she eventually breathed, sincere - she realized her arms were still around his neck, and moved them to his shoulders. "And with it having been so long... I wanted to make sure things were clear between us, b-before I tried to do that."

For a moment, Noct closed his eyes, then he got that little smile again... when he opened them, he stepped closer; his hands moved up, one going to the back of her head and the other resting against her cheek. Iris let out a little gasp as her heart-rate went up, staring at him with wonder - this close, his look was intent, but she unconsciously began to see the nervousness, and the awkwardness beneath.

The same as Noct had been before, ten years ago...

He leaned even closer, and then he kissed her-

-it's like her happiness exploded, and she was quick to return it, hands brushing against his hair.

"Does that make things clear?" he asked afterward, slightly teasing.

Even though he was trying to hide it, he's definitely flustered on the _inside_ \- still catching her breath (mostly figuratively), Iris marveled over that for a moment. Then she beamed a little, moving to stand at his side, her arms partly wrapped around his and her head resting against his shoulder.

"I'd like to think so" she whispered, feeling content for the first time in forever. "I feel very strongly about you, and you proved that you appreciated that. Just now, you did that again... right?"

Noct made a sound, still inwardly awkward and nervous, but he didn't look away when she glanced at him.

"Well yeah, basically" he said, his lip still curved.

"But at the same time, it doesn't mean we're _actually_ together, at least right now" Iris added, slightly more serious. "Because you just came back, and there's still lots of things you need to do, before you can give that answer. I'm really happy about all this, including that you're finally, _finally_ back, but I know those must take priority."

Noct acknowledged the change, but didn't seem to mind her arm-grip, since he let her continue doing so.

"I'm glad you understand, Iris" he answered, more serious as well- his gaze slowly moved around Hammerhead. "Ardyn's still in the Crown City, waiting for that final showdown, and he must be taken care of before all else, as is my duty as King. Still, because of slightly-bad timing, the guys have to rest first after a long day, so we'll set out tomorrow morn... well, tomorrow."

"Mmh" Iris breathed, but supporting. "Normally, I might've wished to go with you, Noct. Especially now, where I'm almost afraid to let you go."

For a moment, he looked at her, his gaze lingering on her arm-grip.

"I know" he whispered, almost sounding like he wanted that too. "But that bastard's as tough as they come, and only I can kill him. Yet with his strength, there's- *sigh* there's a decent chance I might not make it back, Iris."

"Don't say that-" she protested.

Noct's mouth was set, his gaze intent, which made the words die upon her tongue.

"I'm sorry, but it's that dangerous. I think you have a right to know that much" he said, a bit heavier before his free hand touched hers - she made jolted, but his grip was far more firm than anything romantic. "It'll be a tough fight no matter what, but I can promise you one thing, Iris."

After a moment, she held his hand back tightly. "Yes?"

He paused for a moment, before his voice softened. "I'll do my absolute best, fighting on behalf of all of us" Noct breathed, completely sincere and determined. "You can be sure of that."

The warmth and her worry tried to mix, with various results, but Iris nodded her head after a moment.

"Do me one better, Noct" Iris whispered, equally determined. "Just straight-up kick him in the ass for me."

After a moment, he got a little smirk and this gleam in his eyes, just like the old Noct. "You got it."

...

 _Slightly later_

Despite his own warmth (and nervous awkwardness), Noctis felt a weight on his shoulders, and it took an effort not to show it.

In the end, he'd decided that he wouldn't _directly_ tell her his fate, as it'd taint any good feelings- so instead, he'd done so halfway. By implying that he thinks this fight is so tough, that there's a chance that he'll die because it's _that_ serious, even dangerous, she'd be better prepared to handle things.

But it'd still hurt her... just as it would hurt the guys.

"Hey, Noct?"

Drawing himself back, he answered with 'Yeah?'

Iris smiled a little, if clearly trying not to linger on what he'd implied before. "If the guys are gonna sleep for tomorrow, what about you?" she asked, still kinda-hanging onto his arm.

"I will too, just not right this minute" Noctis admitted, if feeling strange - truth be told, he didn't feel like he could, mentally speaking, considering he'd just done that for over _ten years_ , and everything he felt now was like a whirlwind in his chest. But at the same time, his body was beginning to feel sluggish, even listless, so he guessed that despite his unintended 'nap', his body was still accustomed to going to sleep at regular nighttime (which applied right now).

Then he shook those thoughts off, looking at her. "Why?"

"Then" Iris breathed, softer. "Do you think you could join me?"

By instinct, his heart beat faster... luckily he was fine, despite feeling nervous and awkward inside; his thoughts on the matter helped a bunch.

"Oh. Sure" he said after a moment, gentle before a little teasing. "Just try not to fall asleep too soon yourself."

She did seemed a little surprised, but Iris just pushed his arm for that, if with a smile.

"I'll do my best" she said, with the same mix of gentle and teasing.

After that, she let go of his arm and led him to behind Hammerhead's shop (not Takka's), which had been arrayed with some makeshift shelters in the spaces between- basically ropes, blankets and tarps hanging from them, just enough to make sleeping spaces underneath the covers. The sight made his heart heavier: Noctis had heard from Talcott that everyone mostly lived in Lestallum, which was horribly cramped with conditions like this and too many people sharing them, but to see evidence of this really drove the point home.

And made him even more convinced to make things right.

"Not many people make use of Hammerhead's sleeping arrangements, except when returning from daemon-slaying missions" Iris breathed, looking at him, hands behind her back - she spoke with a sad familiarity, obviously well-used to this sight (even if she didn't like it). "At least, compared to Lestallum; the streets there are packed with sights like this. But here, Cindy and Cid wanted people to at least have some comforts."

Noctis looked for a little, trying to remember this sight and fuel his conviction with it.

"That's really nice of them. But how do you tell if they're occupied or not?" he asked, a bit curious.

Iris glanced down the rows. "If the front portions are open, they're unoccupied; if they're down, they're in use" she said, briefly pointing this out. "And right now, none are occupied. Come on."

Before he could say anything, she'd already bent down beside the nearest one, colored blue with it's cover blankets, and went inside-

-he let out a little breath, still somewhat nervous but making sure to 'steel' himself, and then he followed suit.

Inside were several bedspreads, a lantern, and various other small tidbits- space-wise, it was just big enough for a few people to lay sideways (but little more), and only big enough to crouch as well. Iris had already lit the lantern, though she'd made so that it's shades were partially up, making sure the light wasn't blinding or anything... after that, she just lay on her side facing, while he stayed in a semi-crouched sitting position.

Given how little space there was, they're still pretty close; Iris's smile told him she didn't mind.

Noctis returned it a little, as some nervousness aside, he didn't exactly either.

"Well, it's cozy enough" he admitted, having to work through what he's feeling. "Still, Gladio would definitely be kicking my ass right now, if he walked in on us."

Iris gave a little giggle, hands curled up underneath her chin.

"At this point, I don't think he could stop me" Iris whispered, soft - in the dimmed light, she seemed to be blushing slightly. "Before I was still kinda a kid, but I'm ten years older now. Being my big brother only goes so far anymore, even if we still care for each other."

"Even still... Iris, I- I'm really... I'm grateful, to you, for feeling as you did."

It was difficult to even say that- he _still_ got tongue-tied trying to express himself with words, with actions much less so. Still, Noctis knew he had to show his appreciation while he could... even if Iris wouldn't see the full truth, until after he fulfilled his duty and hindsight took over...

Iris had a little soft, even mischievous smile. "Ten years ago, you said something similar that way, in the form of a 'thank-you' kiss" she teased-

-and he gave a little chuckle, if having to suppress the urge to rub his head. "It- It's still true."

"Thanks, Noct."

Noctis let out a breath, adjusting where he sat now, as he couldn't crouch forever. "I also wasn't kidding, earlier I mean" he said, still 'struggling' but better about it. "When I saw you running at me, I honestly expected... what I said."

She got a little playful look. "Does that mean you also expected me to do more than kiss you?"

Somehow, he'd expected _something_ like that, insofar as a tease- but even having expected that, it was still too easy to make him flustered, inwardly. Still, part of him was outright amazed at how she said that so easily... even though she's joking, teasing, or whatever, she didn't seem that embarrassed.

"..."

Iris soon burst into giggles, probably enjoying the look on his face.

"Well, whether you thought that or not, Noct, it wasn't gonna happen" she breathed, definitely somewhat-blushing now, but her smile was soft; he managed a crooked half-smile. "No but's about it: I don't want to rush _anything._ "

"Even after ten years?" Noctis breathed, if understanding.

A little nod. "Even then" Iris assured, completely sincere. "Anything else would feel like me taking advantage of you, Noct. Especially if you tried to make up for all those years at once, or something."

That got a sound out of him, making him look away; even if he'd thought about doing something like that, he couldn't have gone through with it. As Iris just said, it'd feel like taking advantage of her... and then of course, he knew that if he _had_ seriously offered such, Iris still wasn't that kind of gi- woman.

As she'd just proved right now.

"Well- I _didn't_ plan anything like that" Noctis breathed, 'venting' his relief in that fashion. "I just- I was just asking."

"I know" Iris whispered, understanding. "But in the meantime, would you- do you think we could cuddle, Noct?"

His heart beat faster by instinct, but Noctis just barely managed a sound-

-wow, her teases have _definitely_ been upgraded.

"Isn't- isn't that a little forward?" he (somehow) asked, feigning a small teasing tone to cover this. "Even for you, Iris?"

This time, her only answer was a little smile.

"Heh" he breathed, managing to return the favor; even with this change, she's still the same at heart, after all this time. Slowly, and after a hesitant start, Noctis managed to re-arrange himself - when he stopped, he was laying sideways like Iris, facing her at a fair distance of about a foot.

Iris's smile grew softer, and a small twinkle briefly appeared in her eyes, before one hand moved onto his fingers- it curiously lingered over the Ring of the Lucii, before making a slow trail upward. He moved slightly all-throughout, particularly when this little affection went into his the fringes of his hair, but otherwise didn't really mind, as it felt- it definitely felt good, a little. At the same time, her other hand moved to his cheek, fingers gently moving over his beard... heh, that felt a little unusual, partly because he's still getting used to _having_ a beard, but also chalked that up to the newness. Overall, that's as intense as it got, but he didn't mind; it made him better able to appreciate the nuances.

"You really have changed" she whispered to him, eyes half-closed. "Even your bearing is kingly now."

A little side-smile, even as he moved his hands in return, semi-mirroring what her's were doing- Iris quickly settled into the situation, particularly the hesitant touches on her cheek. "It was hard on me, but it was for the best" he assured, trying to keep his breathing steady and not falter. "Still, I can't help but think that it doesn't compare."

A moment passed, Iris's eyes flickering, before she slipped even closer- now they were face-to-face, almost-but-not-quite snuggling yet, though neither of them moved closer.

"Maybe not" Iris admitted; he could feel her breath. "We got through it, Noct, but it was never easy... I can't tell you how many times I needed a little comfort inside. And you have no idea how much your being here is helping me, or how- how happy it makes me."

Noctis let out a small sigh, slowly leaning forward- as soon as this registered, Iris immediately returned the small kiss, her hands holding him even closer.

"I hope I have an idea now, Iris" he whispered-

-"I'm sure you do" came her soft reply. "Oh Noct."

After that, she didn't say anything; her grip just tightened more, pulling them close together. For awhile they just lay there like that, slowly drifting off - Iris seemed warmly content, and while he wasn't unwilling, he was definitely more hesitant/nervous than he was showing.

But that's okay; he wants her to remember this moment as a warm one.

* * *

 **And now finally, have the two of them meet after those ten years. Still, good thing Iris said she wants things to happen naturally, as otherwise that ending might have carried 'implications' XD Well, maybe if it were more vague hehe**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

Somehow, Noctis managed to wake himself up at the right time.

At first, he was a little drowsy, feeling tempted to just go back to sleep, at least until he realized he was awake... but while getting up, he paused.

Iris was sleeping against his chest, spread-out much as she'd been the night before, which he noticed as he slowly tilted his head. The sight of her being out like a light, steadily breathing, and content made him smile a little... he slowly brought his fingers up, and brushed them against her bangs; she didn't stir once, still deeply asleep.

"Iris" he whispered, very low and heavy - inwardly, he just tried to remember this moment.

No, not just this one; all of them.

Then carefully, gently, he managed to remove himself from her grip, though he did make sure she remained in a comfortable position the entire time. Taking in a breath, and getting a last look at Iris, he then quietly moved toward the entrance, taking a second to make sure the flaps didn't dislodge the ropes above. Once outside, Noctis paused to take it all in again: the sky blotted out by this darkness, the constant brightness of Hammerhead's lights, and the background noise of many daemons. Feeling heavier, in more ways than one, he stood up and began moving out from behind the shop, making his way toward Cindy's garage.

Right away, he saw the guys were ready and raring, just waiting for him... not wasting time, determined to keep his composure, he went over to them.

Ignis heard him first, half-turning. "Noct?"

"Yeah, it's me."

A small lip curve. "I didn't get a chance to say this before, but in regards to Iris, it's about time" he said, slightly knowing.

Prompto chuckled, hands held together. "Same here, but even more happy for ya, man" he added, completely sincere, which Noctis did nod to. "Still, you're not _quite_ off the hook- eheh."

No surprises there- even as the guys looked at Gladio, Noctis did the same: the big guy had his arms crossed, expression intense, not exactly hostile but certainly guarded.

"If you two have been indecent, Noct, you'd best tell me _right now_ " he warned, low.

Noctis felt his mouth twist, but despite that, resisted a surge of embarrassment and awkwardness.

"Iris isn't that type, Gladio, and neither am I. You already knew that" he answered, not backing down at all. "She was ecstatic to see me, but even then she wanted things to happen naturally. Unless you count small stuff as indecent, you've got nothing to be mad about."

Gladio scoffed, rolling his eyes as he half-turned, but he said nothing- the tough guy cover for his various reactions, approval included.

"If you had admitted to being indecent though, Noct, the results would've been spectacular" Ignis dryly observed, with several undertones.

Noctis declined to answer, if feeling a bit amused and nostalgic; before, he knew he would've said 'keep that to yourself'-

-something Prompto seemed to believe he's thinking now:

"Ah, don't listen to them, Noct" he said with a tap-on-the-arm, playfully sincere. "If you two are happy, you shouldn't let anyone's comments stop you. Kinda like I haven't."

Okay, now he's definitely interested... still, that aside, he was definitely proud of much Prompto's developed. He'd always courage to follow them into dangerous situations, whether he complained or joked about it, but now he seemed to have grown a real spine, and stopped caring so much about what they all thought, striking out with his own opinions.

It'll serve him well, for sure.

"Oh really?" Noctis asked out loud, slightly teasing. "Does that mean you and Cindy?"

"Ehhhhh, that's complicated" his blonde friend drew out, with a sheepish, sincere smile. "But I won't kiss and tell."

Okay, that's just _asking_ for him to pry- heh, or that's what he would've said out loud, again before.

"I'm sure you can get more details later, Noct" Gladio said, still disgruntled but serious. "Don't we have somewhere to be?"

No one was surprised, particularly since the big guy did have a point; they couldn't stand here forever catching up.

"Yeah, we do" Noctis breathed, more determined, "Ready, guys?" he asked, looking around-

-no one said a word, but their expressions gave only one answer.

"Alright" he said, glad for it and inwardly enjoying everything while he could. "Then let's go."

...

 _Somewhat later_

Honestly, Iris wasn't surprised that when she awoke, Noct and the guys were gone- it's just as he said, and what they had to do. She wished them luck, trying not to dwell on Noct's words that this would be a tough, dangerous fight... but no matter what, he'd keep his promise to do his best, along with kick that bastard's ass (literally and figuratively).

She knew that deep in her heart... but she still missed the warmth of his embrace.

"You alright there, Iris?"

Iris made a sound, returning to the work after a moment, mostly to keep from dwelling on her thoughts. "Fine, Cindy" she admitted, trying to clean this car's exterior. "It's just- Noct coming back so suddenly has left me a little jittery."

Yeah, 'jittery'- warmly content was more like it.

"I'd say everyone around for miles feels that way. Word has traveled fast that the King's back" Cindy admitted, working even as they talked - visually, she hadn't changed much in ten years (much like Aranea, though Cor's age was beginning to show), but her voice was more experienced-weary than it was then, not that her accent had changed. "But your jittery-ness seems too involved to be just because he's back."

"Yeah, well... that's probably because we spent the night together."

A pause, before Cindy glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Just sleeping, or the other meaning?" she asked, her tone rather strange.

"The first one."

"Huh- didn't know the two of ya were that close."

Iris hummed once. "Well, we aren't officially; it was more of a, well uh, spontaneous thing" she admitted, if feeling warmer. "But even still, it felt wonderful; you're really missing out, Cindy."

Cindy kept working by instinct, but she laughed a little, eyes twinkling. "Nah, I don't think so" she said, if still retaining a strange undertone.

"You'll never know if you don't experience things, or that's what they say."

"That weren't my meaning, Iris."

Confused, Iris looked at Cindy, who's eyes were squarely on her own work. "What does that mean?" she asked, but curious. "What was your meaning, Cindy?"

"That there's a secret."

She knew better than to ask once Cindy stated such a thing, but Iris still felt confused; over the years, she knew Prompto had been working hard to help out Cindy. The thing is, outside of actually getting to work alongside her in past years, they didn't seem to act much different, publicly anyway... and worse still, Prompto would only ever say that it's complicated, or similar statements.

But his tones never gave her a bad feeling - is something private going on between them, and they (or just Cindy) don't want anyone to know?

With some difficulty, Iris let it go; at the very least, Cindy didn't seem willing to reveal anything, particularly after that talk.

"Fine" she breathed, managing a smile. "Besides, I couldn't have possibly done anymore with Noct... even if he's grateful to me, I've loved him for a long time, whereas he's only just started. Maybe anyway."

After several seconds, Cindy looked at her again, still working. "What is 'maybe' supposed to go and mean there, Iris?" she asked, the strange undertone gone now, replaced by curiosity.

This time she didn't answer, if only because she was briefly caught in her thoughts, brought on by her last words; she vividly remembered how Noct had kissed her yesterday. She'd loved him for a long time, while he couldn't have developed the same depth-of-feeling so soon... but despite herself, Iris had just now noticed how he hadn't said anything about 'after' the fight, even if it would embarrass him.

Only that he would do his best.

She's glad he appreciated her feelings, even _obliged_ her last night, but that... that's a red flag, one she wished she'd recognized sooner.

* * *

 _The next day; regular nighttime_

 _Ethereal void_

This was it...

Here he stood, flanked by images of dad, Iris, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio - Ardyn stood alone, the sounds he made no longer human. The latter raised a hand, trying to use his power to defend himself, before Luna's spirit tightly gripped his arm; the touch burned him, and he jerked and flailed, unable to tell who or what was doing such to him.

Noctis raised a hand, grimly prepared-

-the Ring of the Lucii began to glow purple, though the light itself was a blinding white.

Just as before, the Ring's power burned him; it raced up his arms, over his torso and partly over his face, all causing tremendous pain that racked his body, causing him to groan profusely. Then he bent forward, the pain extending into his back as the royal arms were literally being ripped from his being... it was all he could do to endure it, yet he didn't falter. Then with a yell, the thirteen royal arms were ripped from him, leaving him barely standing- freed now, the Kings and Queens of Lucis took up their weapons, at the ready. With a final motion, he forced his arm forward, sending them all at Ardyn - the immortal struggled, but Luna wouldn't let go, her power still purifying the daemons inside him.

With a final barrage of impacts, Ardyn's soul was ripped apart and he dissolved into nothingness- Noctis barely saw Luna floating afterward, unharmed by the barrage.

His vision blurred... he didn't have any strength left; it's over...

After a moment, he started to fall backward-

-but hands immediately gripped his forearms.

Noctis made an instinctive sound but didn't resist, feeling it might be part of the process- but as the long seconds passed, he slowly registered a warmth flowing into his body. Head hanging, he slowly managed to half-open his eyes, vaguely registering a faint golden light in his 'sight'... unconsciously, he felt like he's on the edge of- of whatever happens after death, but something's stopping that...

"My King."

His brow furrowed, but the realization was slow.

That... that couldn't be...

Slowly, too slowly, he managed to raise his head- after a few moments of his vision blurring in-and-out, he saw Luna. There were a lot of emotions in her face, barely 'hidden' by the intensity - she was gripping his forearms, a warm, golden light flowing into them from her grip.

"...Luna?" Noctis croaked, still completely dazed. "It's over... why...?"

She slowly looked at him, seeming to smile for his sake. "I cannot allow it, King Noctis" she spoke, gentle yet firm.

Still dazed, he needed a moment. "What...?" Noctis spoke; the warmth flowing into him slowly built up, and if one were to look, his wounds were slowly disappearing/healing. "How...?"

"You have fulfilled your calling, though it pained you greatly, and the blood price has been fulfilled" Luna assured- despite her tone though, her tight grip was shaking slightly. "But now, I have taken on a new task for myself, and asked that you be returned in exchange for this."

Perhaps it was the warmth (slowly) driving away the dazed feeling, or maybe he finally started to realize things, but a sound escaped him. Noctis managed to lean back up to standing-straight, helped quite a bit by Luna, though it was difficult to stay that way because he's still weak.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, breath heavy before he paused. "Wait... is this- is this what you were talking about, before?"

A small nod. "Before I attempted to awaken Leviathan, I asked the Glacian many things" Luna spoke, glancing down at his arms for a time, where her warm light was still flowing into his being. "I knew of our fates, how they were unavoidable, but if I could do anything more after death, I prayed to know. My prayers were answered, and in death I was granted power to achieve my next task... at the cost of being unable to truly rest, until it is achieved."

Gradually feeling stronger, his heart started to grow heavier too, feeling a lot. In the back of his mind, he lingered over the fight against Leviathan... he'd been hit pretty bad, struggling to move, and certain the Hydrean was about to finish him. But then there was a presence nearby, and power infused him, allowing him to summon the full powers of the Armiger and put her down; he'd never been sure how or why that happened.

Now though, he was certain: Luna had granted him that power from the beyond... just as she'd summoned the Six to deal with Ardyn's barrier, earlier.

"Your next task?" Noctis breathed, before faltering a bit; they were suddenly surrounded by many, many soul crystals.

Each one glimmered, but also seemed to have numerous dark spots, almost overtaking the former aspect.

Luna seemed aware of them, but her eyes never left his face, and they were glimmering with sadness. "Those who became daemons were once human, yet because of this affliction, they cannot pass on. This includes all of those that died just now, because you ended the scourge of our Star" she spoke with conviction. "My task is to purify their souls, every last one. Only then, may I finally pass on myself."

Before everything, he would've protested this... yet now, he knew that'd accomplish nothing. When Luna set her mind to a task, she never wavered from it, a quality he knew came from her childhood- even back then, she'd been serious about being an Oracle, and he'd admired that. Now that he knew all that had occurred, clearly she'd been committed to this task for awhile, even before he'd set out on his own journey- Noctis could only quietly marvel at her strength, for that could take a _long_ time. Eos only knew how many daemons had been made overtime, long before now, and how long it would take for each soul...

And she wasn't to rest, at least not truly, until this was over.

"...and in exchange for this task?" he finally asked.

Her eyes closed then. "In exchange, the Six have granted me the favor I most desired" she whispered, no longer smiling, but definitely relieved. "I asked that if it were possible, after the Chosen King fulfilled his duty and paid the blood price, that he be returned and live out his life, somewhat shortened though it may be. How I wished that I could tell you before, but it was determined that you were not to be distracted from your duty in any manner."

Somewhere in the surprise, the shock from still being a little dazed, Noctis remembered how a shortened lifespan was the price for using the Ring of the Lucii- that, plus this price? He's not surprised his lifespan's shorter than it was, though he's gradually feeling glad that he even _has one_ anymore... assuming this worked out.

"If you have questions, perhaps you shall receive answers" Luna said then, and he registered that he felt almost normal now. "But for now, you must return, King Noctis, even as I must begin my work, starting with dear Ravus. There is little time remaining before I must start."

Despite the dazed feelings, he was quick: "Luna" he spoke, enough to make her eyes open. "...thank you, for everything."

A small nod, before she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I pray we'll meet again, someday" she breathed, with utmost sincerity. "And I'm forever grateful we got the chance to speak to each other, even if only for a short time. Farewell, dear Noctis."

Then Luna let go of him-

-and soon as she did, an icy touch gripped his body from behind, and then his senses blurred.

...

 _Insomnia_

 _Throne Room Ruins_

Noctis' eyes flew open as he gasped, coughing heavily and his body having spasms, practically heaving air into his lungs. It was a struggle even to keep himself where he lay (flat on his back), and for awhile all his senses were fuzzy... oh, and he's shaking like he was ill.

Still, even in this state, one hand managed to crawl over his front body-

-his clothes were undamaged, and there were no wounds... nothing.

Eventually, his body settled into some semblance of control again... his vision finally managed to focus again too, if not quite registering details...

"The King of Light breathes once again."

In his weak state, Noctis was startled at the voice - it took him a second to recognize the one who spoke, and somewhat longer to lift his head to look.

"G- Gentiana" he breathed, half out of instinct; his voice almost sounded raw. "Ah- I mean... Shiva."

Save for a small lip curve, she gave no reaction to this mention, and merely stood there calm as always. "The weakness of the flesh is but temporary, yet birthrights of the King have been reduced in number."

Deep down, he did feel relieved about that first bit, but then he was slowly confused- a curious sensation on his hand distracted him. When he looked down, he jolted: the Ring of the Lucii was dissolving right before his very eyes, until finally there was nothing left of it at all... he was left staring at his hand for awhile.

After it registered: "Is this- is this because I fulfilled the prophecy?" Noctis managed to ask, still weak but slowly getting better. "It's no longer... needed?"

Gentiana's eyes remained closed, but her head dipped a little. "The power of the Ring, and the Crystal, given to destroy that which no longer exists; now they are unnecessary" she spoke. "The power of Lucian Kings was to have ended with the True King's passing, yet machinations of the last Oracle have altered that result."

Breathing more easily now, Noctis slowly rose into a sitting position, before slowly raising a hand... after a second, it worked: his dad's sword appeared in his hand. Even as he hitched, brief images of the other royal arms appeared in the air, arranged in the usual circle around him- again, he was left staring for a little while.

"...but you're letting me keep these" he breathed, with some relief. "T- Thank you."

"Now the line of Lucis will continue, charting a new path for history. Time will tell of the results."

When he finally glanced over again, he saw that she'd vanished, just like old times... letting out a breath he slowly looked around, just realizing it's still dark outside. But it was different from the eternal night's level: things were semi-lighter, which made him think it must be lit by stars, or the moon.

He had to see this for himself.

More somberly though, he noticed that his little stunt k- mmh, _killing_ himself, had basically destroyed the throne room, thanks to the Ring's power.

...well, he'll definitely miss it, even if he only occupied the (physical) throne for a short time.

"Dad" Noctis whispered after a minute, holding up his father's sword; the words came without conscious thought (and good thing too). "I know it couldn't have been easy, knowing I had to die, choosing to do things the way you did. And then suddenly at the last minute, for both of us, Luna comes up with a way to make me live again... I- I still feel dazed, and weak too. But even still, I- I understand why you did everything that you did. I- I appreciate it. I promise... I'll do my best as King, and enjoy the days given back to me. And one day, we'll- we'll see each other again."

The sword didn't respond in any way, but he thought he still sensed a presence nearby- even if just his imagination, it was comforting.

He let out a long breath, looking forward as the royal arm de-materialized in his hand - then he noticed that nearby was his thrice-upgraded Engine Blade, strangely unharmed (and not bloody). Slowly reaching a hand for it, he was surprised when as soon as he touched it, the weapon briefly took on a familiar white, ethereal glow before that quality faded away... wait, was that-?

That was just like... but did that really mean it's...?

Cracking a smile, he grunted before trying to push himself upright, feeling he can leave the heavy thinking for _much_ latter. His first attempts were unsteady, but he managed to stand after a time, though he was breathing heavier from the exertion- he kept reminding himself that this weakness is temporary.

So, just one step at a time...

/

 _Hammerhead_

"Iris! Iris, wake up!"

Jerked out of her sleep, Iris was at first on-guard- which despite such a reaction, still felt like her eyelids had weights attached. "What? What is it?" she grumbled a little, carefully trying to do something about that. "Daemons?"

"You gotta see this! It's the stars!"

After that, her messenger (Talcott, she later realized) had apparently ran off, judging by the footsteps- still groggy, it took her mind a little to catch up.

Stars? But- but this is eternal night, so how would...?

Then an unconscious thought ran through her mind, and she froze, body waking up faster due to wonder and excitement- quickly, she moved to the opening. Opening it up carefully, she looked around and... and...

"No way" Iris breathed, utterly stunned-

-it was still nighttime-level dark above/around Hammerhead, but the black cloud blocking out the sky was _gone_. And without it, a familiar blue tinge was present, with numerous little twinkling lights spread across it - even with all the lights of Hammerhead on, that's still unmistakably the case. Her instincts conflicted with both her senses and her groggy demeanor, one part saying it might just be her dreaming as a precaution, but the rest of her was convinced she's really seeing this! First thing she did then was sift through her pack, and when she found her water bottle, splashed her face several times; the small cold helped wake her up.

Not likely that she's dreaming now - quickly, she moved away from the tent, heart racing.

The entire time, her gaze rarely left the nighttime sky.

* * *

 **Well, I did say this fic supports NoctisXIris, and it's a semi-retelling, so yeah. Still, what with several DLC showing that Noctis can survive, it's probably no that much of a stretch now.**

 **We're not over though, as now some details of post-story would seem to be in order.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

 _Insomnia_

Luckily for him, retracing his steps soon led him to encounter the guys - they were listless, moving unconsciously as they started back toward Hammerhead. Even with his (gradually-improving) weakened state, Noctis pushed himself to catch up... still, he wryly felt that he'll be feeling this for awhile, if not sure whether that meant this specific exertion or just having been dead.

Probably both.

Ignis noticed first, due to his hearing, though he couldn't identity by sound alone. Even still, the fact that he'd stopped alerted Prompto and Gladio, both turning around in an instant... and went through a medley of reactions, mostly disbelief and such...

 _"Well, this time I can't just say 'Hey'"_ Noctis thought, having to try to keep a smile off his face. _"They're liable to blow up if I tried that."_

Even still, he managed to make his way toward him, and he noticed Prompto mouth his name (along with Ignis then going through the reactions himself, as a result). After that, no one moved or did anything else beyond the stares, so he made his way over in relative silence- eventually he stopped five feet away, breath heavier as he tried to think of something, _anything_ to break the tension.

Seconds passed like that.

"Alright, what gives?" Gladio spoke, sounding pissed- well, in the 'worrying them for nothing' sense anyway. "You gave us that whole speech, implying that it's the last chance we'll ever see you alive again; fine. After the sky lightened up, we know you did your job, and found the throne room destroyed with no traces... not fine, but we manage to start moving on and deal with our grief. And yet here you are."

Noctis let out a breath, figuring that was inevitable... plus given all the build-up, and how hard it must've been for them, it's not unfounded. In the back of his mind, he did wonder what happened to his body, and his blade, if they'd initially come in and found the place empty- but that wasn't important right now, particularly since he'd rather not get into the details if he didn't have to.

"I really was dead, guys" he answered, looking between his truest friends - if they'd shed tears, the signs were gone now. "I could even describe the whole process, if you'd- if you'd give me time. As to _why_ I'm back, I was- I was blindsided about that, just as you three were a minute ago."

Prompto suddenly stepped forward. "Before anything else, I wanna say 'I don't care how or why'!" he cut in; somewhat played up, but clearly he'd been itching to say it. "After all, Noct, you're back! *cough, cough* O-Okay, continue" he finished, somewhat more serious by the end.

"Indeed" Ignis dryly remarked, moving to his side- he clapped his shoulder, and the grip betrayed _far_ more than his voice/gestures did. "We're all demanding _that_ explanation, Noct. Beyond words can express."

He made little sound, glancing at Gladio's intensity: his entire look was what Iggy just said.

"Luna" Noctis started, feeling a lot again - he even started to shake a little, though from what he wasn't sure. "Before her death, she apparently spoke with Gentiana, and managed to arrange a deal... in return for taking on a new task, never truly resting until she's finished, I would be returned to life after I fulfilled my calling."

Prompto moved closer, worried. "What task is that?"

"Purifying the souls of those who... used to be daemons."

Silence swept over their group, even completely cutting through Gladio's intensity- Prompto in particular closed his eyes, holding his hands together, seeming to pray.

"That could take a long time" Ignis spoke, subdued, until his voice grew thicker in spots. "But at the same time, it doesn't surprise me; Lunafreya could never be swayed from helping others, nor her duty. It appears not even death managed that feat. Yet even with the staggering blindside, she brought you back, Noct; either part is no small favor... are there any ill effects?"

For a moment, Noctis said nothing, if managing to control the shakiness.

"Only one: I won't live as long as I would've, before all this happened" he admitted, shaking his head. "I don't know how many years I've lost, but it's a small price to pay."

"Glad you're not complaining" Gladio said then, thumping his other shoulder- he was pointedly trying to keep the 'annoyed' expression, but a slight smirk did pop up. "You have a _lot_ to do in the meantime. Like first, maybe make things up to us, for showing up with no warning. Even if we're glad that you did."

"Heh, sure thing, Gladio."

Prompto then moved ahead of them. "I think you know I'm with Iggy and Gladio on this, Noct. It's _so_ much better that we were blindsided, even with the shock and all" he said knowingly, before giving an earnest smile. "But while we're doing the whole 'you're back' celebration and potential chew-outs stuff, we'd best get back to Hammerhead. After all, you've got Iris waiting for you."

At that comment, Gladio grunted with folded arms, and Ignis made a semi-amused sound as he turned away - Noctis had to resist rubbing his head, sheepish; when put that way, he _was_ keeping her waiting. The fact that he still had a life to live meant things were different, and what he'd assumed to be his last day with her, with the guys... no longer qualified as such.

First off, he knew he had to tell her the truth - she'd find out one way or the other, and moreover, he owed it to her.

"She is waiting, as is everyone else" he answer, not denying anything. "So yeah, we should head back. It should also give me plenty of time to think up plans for us all."

To that, no one said anything, but there were nods and general approval to go around.

"Oh, but also, because of this ordeal, I'm not exactly at my peak right now" Noctis added, glancing at Prompto. "I'll keep moving forward, but if I stumble-"

There was no hesitation: "We'll be there to catch you, Noct" Prompto assured, clapping him on the shoulder, if gently. "Just say the word. Or don't; we'll do it anyway."

"Thanks."

After that, they began to start walking again, this time catering to his somewhat-slower pace - as time went on, his condition gradually improved. Still, on the way back, he did slip out the photo he'd taken with him to his (assumed) grave: that picture of the five of them that first day, around/on the Regalia, and where Iris had planted her hands on top of his head with a fairly-big grin.

The sight gave him a little smile: back then, it all seemed so simple, so carefree... he lingered over Iris's grinning image, unconsciously comparing to how she was now...

Hmm, and despite what he'd said back then, his face wasn't really 'weird' at all.

Go figure.

* * *

 _Hammerhead; still early_

After so long, Iris could still scarcely believe her eyes- the sky being dark but no longer pure black, as now the stars were visible again. It wasn't much light, especially since they could barely see the moon - currently at/near a new moon, so it's 'dark' - but even this much was exciting, the excitement overturning any drowsiness she had at being woken up early. She believed it's probably the same at Lestallum, and other parts of the world too (if/where people had survived); it was certainly true here at Hammerhead, many Hunters gathered to watch the sky. In the absence of normal daemon growling, a collection of low, excited murmurs and chatter emanated from everyone, and no one was trying to moderate it.

"Think it'll be soon?" Talcott asked beside her; he kept looking between his watch and the binoculars.

Iris made a sound, completely jittery. "It has to be, Talcott" she said, for both their sakes. "The fact that we can see stars means it must be gone. It _has_ to be!"

Deeper down, she knew in her heart that Noct had succeeded; he'd done his duty as King, drove away this darkness, and kicked that bastard Ardyn's ass. She refused to dwell upon it _too_ much, knowing that she'd wait until word got back, or assuming they took some time getting back she'd go out and find out herself, just like Cor and the others. In fact, earlier she'd been in contact with Cor, asking if he'd seen what she saw before: a sudden, absolute lack of daemons anywhere. More than that, he himself confirmed that one moment they were there, and then suddenly each one in sight had started screeching, twisting and convulsing, then disintegrated despite not having been touched.

And now the landscape was eerily empty... devoid of life aside from plant growth, which somehow hadn't gone extinct in the years since eternal darkness, and which daemons hadn't been interested in. Still, while any aquatic life should be untouched (mostly), the same couldn't be said for a lot of the land creatures; they still existed, as they'd seen semi-rare skirmishes, but they had to be reduced in number.

But those that remained wouldn't stay hidden for long.

Finally: "Oh wow" Talcott breathed, half in wonder. "Iris!"

Hefting her pair, Iris scanned the horizon for any signs... there: the sky's dark color was beginning to lighten up, and the stars in that area were harder to see. Suffice to say, the two of them remained glued to their perch, watching with both the binoculars and their own eyes... it was literally slow-going, but they barely noticed, because minute-by-minute the sky was definitely lighting up...

And then, at an almost snail's pace, came the curves of a familiar orange-yellow ball of fire.

"It's the sun" Iris breathed, her whole body shaking in relief before a laugh escaped. "The sun's rising, Talcott!"

He had a big grin, almost fit to bursting just like when he was younger. "It always has, but we can finally see it again!" he said in a hurry, even giving her an impromptu-if-brief hug, which while surprising she didn't mind, as she's as relieved as he was.

Still, Iris closed her eyes, a few tears leaking out in happiness; it's over.

"Noct, you did it."

...

After ten years of eternal darkness, even a gradual transition to daylight took some getting used to; it made things _much_ more stark, especially at first, but it was still a beautiful sight. Because of this, they were all considerably pale(r) from lack of sunlight, and many of them had to wear various forms of eye protection just to function, but people hardly complained in all the excitement.

Oh, and despite the fact that there's no daemons literally _anywhere_ , a majority of the previous hunters still had their cautious instincts too, helping keep the masses in check by instinct.

Through her phone, Iris managed to get updates from Cor and Aranea on, well everything. As far as Aranea, she and her men were helping 'guard' select parties who'd decided to re-explore previous settlements, with their protection a just-in-case measure if hungry animal packs showed up. At the moment, Cor was also helping rallying various Hunters and the Kingsglaive to see about Meldacio Hunter HQ, though he also mentioned that he wouldn't be going with the main group; soon as he could, he'd be coming out to Hammerhead. And speaking of Hammerhead, Cid was taking the first truck that he could, and was even now on-route despite comments of his aching back- that made her smile, but aching back or not she knew he's coming to see his granddaughter. There'd even been something about Wiz in there, as with the whole apparent 'chaos' going on, the chocobos were going crazy for the fresh air and light- heh, understandable.

Meanwhile:

"I should be back soon" Talcott assured, a little sheepish as he closed the truck's door. "If the King comes back during that time, hopefully I won't be too late to thank him in person."

"He'll understand" Iris assured; were she not determined to wait for Noct, she'd probably be going with him too. "After all, this is personal to you."

A little nod, and then after he started up the engine, he whispered under his breath: "Sorry it's been so long, grandpa."

She watched him go for a little, right through the now-staying-open gate, knowing Jared would appreciate Talcott visiting his grave in Caem after so long. Then she turned and went over to the garage, where Cindy was still working on a car, always one to be working on something - she'd accepted the return of light with only a few comments about the brightness, but fixed that with sunglasses for now.

Which for now, really were tempting.

"I hope the guys can make it back soon, walking or not" Iris admitted, having to raise a hand briefly; the sun's gleam gave a _nasty_ reflection. "You excited for that, Cindy?"

Still underneath the car, she couldn't see Cindy's expression at the moment. "Quite a bit, Iris" Cindy said, almost soft, but certainly excited. "The King suddenly comes back, literally goes and turns on sunlight again after a few days, and stopped all the daemons out there too? Gotta thank him in person for that kinda thing. Plus everything and everyone for miles is going stir-crazy; I'm gonna need Pumpkin back for this here rush of activity."

Iris blinked, trying to make sure she heard right. "'Pumpkin'?" she asked, confused.

"Oh- aw shucks" came from underneath the car; Cindy actually sounded... embarrassed, slightly? Maybe? "A little slip-of-the-tongue after all this here time. But well, cat's out of the bag now; can't turn that one around."

By the end of that statement, Cindy chose to slide out from underneath the car; she didn't _look_ embarrassed as she slowly raised her sunglasses, but there seemed to be something slightly off. "Anyway, 'Pumpkin' is the blonde fella Prompto" she explained, standing up and dusting herself off like usual. "I called him that nickname one time, because his whole face turned red like an orange, and it kinda stuck. He took a liking to it, put simply."

Inwardly, Iris thought this was an unexpectedly juicy detail; it took some effort to keep the mischievous smile off her face.

"Sure sounds silly" she said, trying to keep a straight face, if with a little smile. "But you do know pumpkins are orange, not red, right? And also, why keep that private?"

"'Course I know" Cindy said, before a gleam showed in her eyes. "And I ain't falling for that trickery, Iris. Now if you'll excuse me."

Just like that, the mechanic moved toward the garage, apparently to switch tools or something... though Iris suspected it's just a cover. Still, once Cindy was gone, Iris couldn't help but grin, as it looks like there might actually be _something_ official between Prompto and Cindy-

-even if it's apparently super private, for whatever reason.

* * *

 _The next day_

They'd made good time all things considered: his quick meetup with the guys, and their push to get back as soon as possible, probably had something to do with it. Part of him felt he's gonna have some soreness tonight, because of this effort, but at least he didn't have to deal with light-adjustment issues like the guys (save Iggy) were going through. Within a few hundred feet of Hammerhead, they could clearly see that it - and the surrounding area - was a virtual hive of activity, almost like no one could sit still at all. And moreover, there was definitely a team working hard to take down the fences; with nothing to fear from daemons anymore, now they're clearly no longer needed.

It wasn't long before he recognized one of them as Iris, who tore off this section, which fell with a loud clang.

Still, by luck, this allowed her to catch sight of them-

-and once she got close enough: "Noct!"

Noctis made a sound as yet again, Iris had thrown herself at him, though lesser about the force this time- it made his 'aches' flare up slightly, but he barely noticed.

"Is this gonna happen every time?" he asked after a few seconds, slightly playful but feeling warm - evidently this wasn't lost on her, for she wondered, but otherwise grinned big and hugged him close.

"Would you like me to?" she asked, equally playful, leaving him to chuckle. "Could be a regular thing even. Still, you did it- you all did it. Just as I knew you would."

Somehow, he thought her saying 'all' was just being polite; obviously she really meant him, even if she's not wrong.

And the guys seemed to be thinking the exact same thing:

"I think we'd best excuse ourselves" Ignis advised, briefly smirking a little. "Gladio, Prompto, come on. We can plan proper catching-up at a later time."

"Ngh."

"Yeah, let's leave the lovebirds alone" Prompto said easily, but giving him a double thumbs-up; Noctis declined to answer that, except with a hidden side-smile.

"Speaking of lovebirds, Cindy wants you back, 'pumpkin'" Iris called over; Prompto's knee-jerk-surprise reaction would've been hilarious, had this not confused him. "And yes, I accidentally got her to slip up about that, so go on!"

"What are you talking about, Iris?" Noctis asked slowly, glancing over; Prompto had several reactions at once. "...Prompto?"

"Uhhh... long story, will tell you later" the blonde said quickly, aware of everyone's gazes (with Iris still grinning). "But since uh, Iris will probably tell you, Noct, I'm just gonna go ahead with Iggy and Gladio. A-After all, apparently Cindy does need me."

Maybe so, but he wasn't off the hook yet... Noctis looked at their retreating backs for awhile, then at Iris with a raised eyebrow.

She gave a little hum. "I promise I'll tell you, but later" she said easily, one arm through his, and briefly brushing against his fingertips-

-heh, maybe it's just as well.

"Fine, fine" he breathed, giving a little smile and just looking at her - now that they were alone again, he was a bit nervous, but feeling a touch of warmth. Gently, with a slight effort, he had a hand come up and brush against the tips of her hair, which softened her smile, although she did seem a little surprised by this 'forwardness'.

As soon as he leaned forward, eyes slowly closing, she did the same as he gave her a small kiss.

"Mmh. I knew you'd do it, Noct" she whispered, after he'd pulled away. "I knew you'd come back."

"...yeah, I did it" Noctis said eventually, holding her hand up in both of his- that and his tone started cluing her in. "Except... I almost didn't come back."

"What?"

His mouth twisted, feeling a lot of shaky emotions. "There's some things I need to say, Iris. And I know you're not going to like them, but... I need to tell you. I owe you that much" he said, heavier.

Not a word did she say, but Iris's silence seemed to be her answer- when several seconds passed and she didn't move, he pressed on.

"There was a prophecy, which both my dad and Luna knew well before now. They didn't let me know about this, so I could live my life without that burden. It... it said that in order to kill Ardyn and end the plague, I had to kill him in the afterlife... and to do that, I had to die" Noctis continued, low and a little pained; even in his peripheral vision, the shocked _everything_ in Iris's expression stung him a little. "I- I couldn't tell you, Iris, after I came back and learned this. I just wanted you to- to enjoy our time, while I was still..."

In little time, he felt his eyes start to grow wet, and his body shook slightly - vaguely, he registered this delayed reaction: he's much more affected than he realized. Iris's grip had grown tight, and she was struggling to process everything... she didn't say a word, not make a sound...

"I hated lying to you, but I thought it was... for the best. Forgive me."

Her grip tightened until it started becoming painful, and Noctis saw the beginnings of tears in her eyes too, along with her quivering lip. Then she seemed to shudder, before trying to speak, though at first it came out so faint he couldn't hear...

"...T-Then, how- why are you-?" she whispered, struggling. "Noct..."

He slowly pulled her against him, free hand moving over her back, while she didn't move (except for maintaining her grip on his other hand). "I made my peace with dying" he said, a little unsteady before taking in a breath. "I _did_ die, and killed Ardyn... but then Luna- she made it so that I-"

Before he could say more, Iris suddenly let go of his hand/moved away from his embrace, and grasped both his cheeks in her hands. Not a split-second later, still partly with tears in her eyes, she kissed him _hard_ \- some startled sound escaped his mouth, but evidently she didn't hear this. At some point, Noctis managed to break out of his shock (somewhat) and tried to kinda-return the favor, slowly holding her back, though he didn't have much clue how to respond beyond that. Iris kept things up for what seemed like a full minute, before finally they broke apart for air, several seconds passing...

"Noct" she breathed, low in volume and a _lot_ of emotions bubbling underneath, but steady.

For a moment he was surprised (added onto the shock of her kiss); despite everything she's feeling, Iris is managing to keep her composure, with an effort.

After this sunk in: "Y- Yeah?" he whispered.

Iris made a sound, but wiped away her tears, her eyes brimming with intensity. "Tell me everything" she said, and he moved slightly. "Everything after you left for Altissia. If I'm to understand what you've been through, why everything happened, and how I feel... I need to know, right now."

Noctis looked at her for a little, truly seeing how much stronger she's gotten, and not just physically- he appreciated that, and it even comforted him in a way.

"...That'll take a little while, Iris, but you got it" he breathed, sincere.

Inwardly, he was still flustered from what happened, but all things considered he's okay; he wanted it to stay that way, and- and even get better overtime.

...

 _Hammerhead_

 _Fairly later_

All those times she'd been sad, shocked, and struggling when dark stuff just kept happening? It happened again as she listened to Noct's tale, if mostly near the end this time.

The parts about fighting Leviathan, slogging toward Gralea, and even the dark revelations of daemons and the empire- Iris already knew the basics thanks to outside sources, and the extra details didn't surprise her much anymore. Everything other than that was a different story, including her initial thoughts about this apparent prophecy - it explained a lot, including about how King Regis knew about the empire's trap, why he sent Noct/the guys/her away, and even why Lunafreya was so insistent on communing with the Six, even to the point of it killing her. Her feelings were mixed on that front, but then it became worse when she heard what Noct had gone through, including learning that he had to die. And because of that, deciding that he didn't want to get her hopes up anymore, at least until he'd seen Lunafreya... because she knew what was to happen, she'd encouraged him.

Noct didn't know what she'd been planning, but it worked; he'd decided to oblige Luna, at least to a degree. In hindsight, it was no wonder now that he was so suddenly so, well 'forward' with her several days ago, even if they didn't do anything crazy - had she not been so dazed, maybe she would've picked up on this much sooner.

Still, Iris was glad that he omitted the details of how he died - that she could live without hearing; just the _fact_ was bad enough.

Then hearing about Lunafreya's next task, and in return for this, letting Noct live out his life- she really did care for him.

For awhile, they were both silent, Noct having caught up the present and her just trying to digest everything- Iris tightened her hand over his, but he said/did nothing. In fact, this entire time she'd held his hand just to convince herself he's still here, and he must've realized this... it was helping more than she could express.

"So" Noct breathed after a little, faint; in her peripheral vision, she saw his head tilt toward her somewhat. "Iris... how do you feel?"

Her mouth twisted, and Iris took in a breath, gaze tilted down.

"I was mostly just sad at everything you went through, why all this happened, and those that died because of it. I still kinda am" she whispered, grip tightening even more, but he didn't protest. "I get why you acted as you did, Noct, I do, but it's just- part of me wishes you'd _told_ me that you were going to die. For a time, I was even a little angry, but that's gone - after everything that's happened, I'm just relieved that it's all over now."

He said nothing, just listening.

"But while that's true, I'm also- I'm glad too" Iris breathed, a little shaky as she suppressed a sob; she lifted her head, seeing Noct's small gaze. "Why wouldn't I be? Because despite how close we all came to losing you... y-you still came back, Noct. I can _never_ repay Lunafreya for that, or thank her for what she's doing right now."

His mouth twitched, but managed a little lip curve as he glanced at the sky.

"Maybe not for awhile, but you never know" Noct breathed, still faint, but trying to be reassuring. "Luna watched over me, even after death. I'm sure she'll hear any thanks you have to give, Iris, if you'd like that."

"...Mmh, I'll keep that in mind."

"Yeah. Is that all?"

She took a few seconds. "Only- only the urge to hug you tight, and never let you go."

It was a weak joke, but it still made him react, half-flustered inwardly and half making a (brief) chuckle-like noise.

Iris cracked a smile, feeling better at the sight of that. "But I know you wouldn't appreciate that" she breathed, slightly lighter. "And I'd never go that far. I'm just so happy that you're here, Noct, more than I can express right now..."

Noct glanced at their joined hands for a moment. "Me too" he admitted, gaze a little faraway. "It's gonna take awhile, before all this truly sinks in."

She sat closer, which got his attention, particularly when she leaned her head against his shoulder. When nothing else happened, he began to settle against the gesture, if a bit hesitant - after all, he's still not really experienced with this kind of affection, though technically neither is she, confidence aside.

But let things take time.

"So what now, Noct?" she asked, softer- at first it took a little effort to sound that way, but it gradually got easier. "What will you do as King?"

A little sound, but somehow she could tell he's smiling, if only a little. "As far as everyone, I've been thinking about that. I'll start outlining the short-term goals fairly soon."

"Mmh, can't wait."

Then he shifted a little, leaving her to glance at him- he'd turned his head, looking at her now.

"Any plans of your own?" Noct asked, sincere.

"Besides the obvious?" Iris answered, slightly teasing- he managed to keep the smile, still looking at her. "Well I have a few ideas, but I'll wait till after your announcements, so that I can adjust. Plus, some of them are a little 'forward' to say right now."

He got a small raised eyebrow. "You've never hesitated about being forward with words, Iris" Noct said knowingly, a little warm. "Case-in-point, our 'date' in Lestallum."

She felt pretty warm herself, just to hear him remember that- though, part of that might've been their close contact.

"Even still" Iris breathed, returning the knowing tone.

"As you wish" he whispered, mouth moving a little. "But speaking of that 'date'... that may not have been official, but the- but the next will be."

"So that's your official answer?" Iris asked, even softer.

A moment where he glanced away, inwardly-nervous, but otherwise still smiling. "Well, yeah" he said simply, a little warmer. "I- I wouldn't mind that, Iris. In fact... I'd rather like it."

Leaning up, she made sure to kiss the corner of his lips- the kiss itself wasn't surprising to him, but that particular way of doing so was. She enjoyed that sight, as she did the way he 'struggled' from the affection, but her only follow-up was to lean against him again and close her eyes, gradually feeling happy and content again.

After everything, the physical sensation of Noct at her side, his warmth- she intends to enjoy that as much as possible.

"That's really good to know, Noct. Wouldn't mind if you said it again."

"...of course you wouldn't."

* * *

 **The reunion side of things, whereas the next (and last) chapter will also get into the wider scope stuff, or at least a beginning of such.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Final Fantasy XV, nor any of it's characters.

 **Rating:** T

 **Semi-retelling of FFXV, supporting NoctisXIris and a few hints to other, hetero-only pairings; primarily written from Iris's POV**

* * *

 _Insomnian border_

Noctis remembered the last time he'd been on this overlook, with the guys and Iris struggling alongside him, trying to register the horror of their lost home, their loved ones... or so he realized in hindsight; he'd been purely anguished at the time. Now though, things were different and there's much to do, many people relying upon him to help get things back on track - this included the refugees, who could either choose to go back to their home countries, even if it might mean starting over, or (properly) assimilate into the Lucian continent. And then later, there'd be a lot of questions: how he ended the eternal night, the story of the journey itself, and perhaps even more personal questions like how/why he's currently 'taken'- mmh. No matter what though, he knew eventually he'd have to give the full story to interviewers, and so he'd have to be prepared for a lot of questions.

First though, the priorities.

He turned around, seeing that everyone had gathered, standing in a loose semi-circle of sorts: from right-to-left was Aranea, Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, Cor, and Iris. While they had varying expressions, all were expectantly waiting for him to get down to business - for a moment, Noctis thought how this could seem like a psuedo-council meeting, if everything was officially established.

But it'd have to do for now; practicality mattered more than pure formalities right now.

"As of now, eternal night and all daemons are gone forever" he started, focused on his words. "Many are no longer with us, but many have also managed to live, thanks to everyone's combined efforts, for which I am immensely grateful. It won't be easy rebuilding, but providing for everyone's needs is the unconditional priority at this time. The Crown City, the various settlements in the outlands; we'll use whatever lodgings are available, but people should still be prepared to continue resting at havens, in makeshift tents, and so on until things improve in time. And it will take time, but I believe that working together, we'll all make it work out."

"If I may, Your Highness" Cor spoke, but determined. "While this works for Lucis, what about the other continents?"

A little smile. "I haven't forgotten about them" Noctis acknowledged, turning toward him. "Cor, unless you have objections, I'd like to make you my second-in-command at this time" he continued, to some surprise, but also a fair amount of approval from all parties. "I would have you assist me with my various matters, both at home and abroad. I'd consider it an honor if you'd accept."

Cor gave the Lucis salute, determined; he hadn't even hesitated.

"I hope to serve you well, King Noctis, to honor the memory of King Regis" he spoke, intent. "Just tell me what needs to be done, and it will be done."

Noctis inclined his head. "Of course. For now, I'd like you to spearhead small expeditions to Accordo, as well as Tenebrae - if any organized groups of people are still living there, be they in the cities or wilderness, note their locations and see about providing for their safety and care, as best you can overtime. We will send relief efforts and open up dialogues as needed, along with inform the refugees here, just in case any would like to return to their former homes and start over. For the moment, the Kingsglaive can remain here in Insomnia under my command, seeing to the safety of the city's people, but also helping with various tasks that need doing."

"Yes sir. I'll tell them to treat these missions appropriately."

"Aranea" Noctis spoke then, looking toward her- she raised an eyebrow, if collected. "As you and your men have the most experience with Niflheim technology, I'd like you to be in charge of handling such tech. Both here in Lucis, via clearing out the empire's former bases for our own use, and overtime, helping salvage Nifheim's tech from the other continents. What we'll do with it will be determined at a later date."

Judging by the approval, he'd had her well before he'd gotten halfway through those lines.

"If I'm hearing that right, I've been put in charge of Lucis's newest fledgling military, temporarily or otherwise" she said, almost mild. "Talk about changing sides. I accept."

Were he not required to maintain some dignity, he probably would've laughed at how she put that; the smile had to do. "Currently in-name-only, since their - and your - focus isn't to fight anything for now. For the foreseeable future, it'll be focused on supply, rescue, and transport duties instead" he said, if inwardly showing that he appreciated her acceptance. "We'll need all the help we can get, since the troop transports can fly pretty fast, carry lots of people or other things we may need. And what we can't use, we'll recycle in rebuilding efforts - plus, if anyone's gonna properly handle the non-daemon weapons lying around, it should be you guys."

Aranea smirked a little, but imitated Cor's salute. "Yes, Your Highness" she said, almost playful.

This time, Noctis did smirk in return, but kept it low-key (and brief).

"Cor, Aranea, go forth with haste" he said then, and with nods, the two of them walked down the path, appearing to start discuss a few things. Soon though, it was just him, Iris, and the guys - while the serious air was maintained, the others did relax a little, since they knew they could be casual around him.

Even as King, he'll allow that.

"Prompto?" he said, his friend standing straighter. "If I heard correctly, you're now part of Hammerhead's garage, along with Cindy and Cid."

"Yes, I am now" Prompto said with a smile, hands together. "In fact, I'm sure Cindy will be beside herself, having to learn all about these new machines. It probably won't be long before she's having stuff hauled to the garage, eager to 'take 'em apart and see how they work'. And I'll definitely be there to help her, to do my part and help fix things."

"She'd be ecstatic either way, for sure" Iris said, almost mischievous; Prompto gave a little chuckle.

Remembering that he still had to hear that particular story, Noctis wondered for a sec before moving on. "Well, if you and Cindy - and Cid, if he feels up to it - wanna take part in salvaging empire equipment for the garage, including distribution to other garages, you can ask. I'm sure no one will object" he said, giving a little smile. "I know that thanks to the thirty-year Wall around Insomnia, to say nothing of the damages brought about by eternal night, _everything_ will need a overhaul; better to get started now. And without the Ring of the Lucii or the Crystal, we must make do with what we have... including with the empire's former equipment, which will all have to be re-purposed."

"Yes, I daresay that will go over nicely, Noct, if not overnight. Or easily." Ignis said, approving. "Spoken like a true King."

Gladio gave a smirk. "At the cost of repeating myself, it's about damn time" he said, almost knowing- most of them shared little chuckles. "And of course, you can count on all of us to do our part as well.'

Naturally.

"Speaking of your parts though" Noctis admitted, drawing their attention. "I understand Prompto's found a good place for himself at Hammerhead's garage, but what about you, Ignis? Gladio? Can I hear your plans?"

Didn't want to step on their toes regarding such plans, even by accident.

Ignis gave off a hum, glancing up in thought. "Well, there always was the suggestion of opening my own restaurant, which could have demand once things settle down" he said, considering. "On the other hand, I'd also like it if I were in an intellectual role, perhaps as adviser."

Prompto gave a smile, tapping Ignis's arm with his fist. "You'd make a great one, buddy."

"But of course."

Noctis gave a brief smile. "Well, things _will_ need time to settle, but I'll keep my options open, Iggy" he said, slightly knowing. "But as King, my standards will have to be fair and unbiased."

"They'd better be, or else I would feel slighted by any result" Ignis answered, fairly teasing- Noctis gave a little chuckle. "Yet I'm glad that I have time to consider the answer."

"And you, big guy?"

Gladio gave a small, knowing scoff as he crossed his arms. "Well, my family job of protecting the royal family is being passed on" he said, trying to sound amused. "At least, the one who'll directly do it all of the time now; I'll move on to training the other Hunters, and make sure they get taught a thing or two, especially the newbies. The Kingsglaive may have learned everything I and Cor can teach them, but if these guys are gonna be part of it, they gotta learn the big stuff."

"Being passed on" Noctis repeated, slowly glancing at Iris-

-who was smiling, hands behind her back, looking fairly pleased.

"You, Iris?"

A little hum. "Well, I am an Amicitia, and I've made a name for myself as a Daemon-Slayer" Iris said with some pride, smile and all, "Gladdy hasn't lost a step, but this way it'll kill two birds with one stone, for both of us. Though of course, we'll all do our part in the rebuilding efforts too; I've just got to make sure you keep up your skills, Noct."

...okay, clearly the two siblings had chatted prior to this meeting, or so he thought. Rather than be exasperated or surprised though, he only felt approval, as Iris must've proved herself to her brother, to be able to arrange that - even if Gladio did want to help train the Hunters, Noctis knew he still had that overprotective big brother instinct deep down.

Which he didn't want to test, even now.

"I'm glad to hear that" Noctis agreed, slightly more warm. "Yet for now, you guys should all get back."

...

Even though she hadn't said much, seeing Noct be smooth, flexible, and commanding - as a King should - made her feel warmly content. Iris always knew he'd be a great one, just like his father, but to see it happening before her eyes was another thing; she even felt little happy-tears coming on at one point, though she'd managed to hide them with an effort.

"-yet for now, you guys should all get back."

Prompto, Gladdy, and Ignis all turned to leave with little nods, and Iris was about to follow before Noct stepped up beside her.

Curious, she looked at him, seeing his lip curve as he glanced at her, hands at either side of his.

"I did say 'you guys'" Noct ventured after a moment, rather mild.

Iris giggled after a moment, happy with this development. "Well, who am I to argue with His Highness?" she breathed, slightly teasing.

A small sound, but the lip curve remained. "I realize you're teasing, but in private, don't call me that" he said, sincere. "I'll get enough of that as King."

"Yeah, probably."

After a few moments, Noct touched his fingers to hers- she easily returned the gesture, stepping closer, standing more at his side. Noct didn't move, but his other hand did brush against her hair for a little - that gesture was starting to become a regular thing, and she didn't mind at all.

"So, besides just being my bodyguard and keeping my skills sharp" he outlined, after a moment. "Any plans, Iris?"

"Mmh" Iris breathed, gentle as she worked her fingers in his grip. "Well, for one thing, I do want to learn how to raise chocobos one day. I want to help make sure everyone can enjoy them, and help build up their numbers again"

A small, knowing smirk, though he glanced down at their joined hands.

"You always were a little crazy about them, though Prompto expressed it louder" Noct said, chuckling briefly. "I can't say I'm surprised, and I do approve. Chocobos are pretty cute, and all that."

The warmth slowly built in her chest. "Even now I can imagine it" she said, putting on a fake dreamy tone, which Noct seemed to get right away if she saw his expression right. "In the Crown City or elsewhere, the house I choose to live in might have technology, but it also has a rustic charm. Outside, a lot of grass, trees, and nature in general... places Chocobos can nest if they like, or perhaps even an outright home for them."

"Wow, you've really thought that through" he breathed to her, a little snarky.

Iris grinned, and both of them began laughing for a little; with all the hard work ahead of them, it just felt so good to let it out.

"Well, maybe not that extreme, but I'd definitely like something close to it" she admitted, before squeezing his hand a little tighter. "Though of course, that's still just a dream right now."

"One day it could be a reality" he assured, half-turning toward the sight of Insomnia - after a second, she did the same. They spent a moment just looking at the city, which even far-off in the distance still showed signs of obvious damage, though many buildings were still intact. "With everything as it is, there's a lot of rebuilding to do. You could buy a piece of land, and make sure it whatever you like."

"Well, maybe" Iris breathed, before getting a little playful. "But why are you so interested in my future plans, Noct?"

Noct's mouth twisted, but he looked at her well enough. "Not falling for that" he breathed, snarky again. "Besides, you're one to talk Iris, with those implied forward teases."

"Oh, but what are they? I never said them out loud."

He moved a little, belaying some inward sensations. "It's kinda obvious, knowing you" he said, some effort showing. "You'd say something like... that technically you're- you're the Queen-to-be, because you're involved with me."

Iris nearly gasped, flustered that he guessed it that 'easily', enough that she let go of his hand- her cheeks quickly felt warm. However, despite what she expected, Noct followed up that statement by kissing her - rather quick, not _exactly_ with ease, but still he tried; this cut through her surprise, and she tried to return the favor.

"It's alright, Iris."

She slowly half-opened her eyes, breath a little heavier.

"Really" Noct breathed, before giving a small, slightly-sheepish smile. "I- _we_ both know it's just a verbal tease. After all, you want things to happen naturally. And- and so do I."

If the warmth could get any better, it just did.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Noct" Iris whispered, gently cupping his cheeks. "It makes me happy."

She physically felt his cheeks grow warmer, if low-key- he didn't seem surprised by her affection, but that didn't change his being flustered. And also, having heard him say that to her, she realized something: she didn't think she's going to tease such big things very often, if at all... because it just doesn't feel 'okay', as if she'd be overstepping her boundaries or something.

And also, because clearly Noct was flustered enough with her regular-level teases.

Smiling, she kissed him again- it seemed to help Noct, for his grip soon tightened around her back, and he returned her kiss.

Mentally: _"I love you, Noct."_

After a time, they pulled apart, and Noct took in a breath.

"Still, as I said, it'll take awhile for me to fully adjust" he breathed, half-knowing-

-and she hummed, settling against his body, feeling his arms adjust to that.

"Not _that_ long" Iris breathed, slightly playful.

"Still teasing, I see" he observed, but with a half-chuckle.

* * *

 _Hammerhead; nighttime_

Even now, days after eternal night had ended, people still had... various reactions whenever 'regular' night showed up, and daytime to a different extent. Noctis noted he's the only one who didn't react that way, but it's because he'd literally slept through 99% of it. As he looked out over Hammerhead, seated beside the caravan with Iris for a little catch-up/hanging out, the night sky stimulated his thoughts - the sight reminded him of those darkened soul fragments, those daemons who used to be human. Even now somewhere out there, Luna worked hard to purify them, simply because that's what she felt she had to do, and would continue to do even if no one knew of her work.

Well, not if he can help it; when he tells the story to everyone, she'll definitely be part of it... not just for the work itself, but because she's the reason he's still here to tell it.

"Mmh" Iris breathed, drawing him out of his thoughts - she was glancing up at the sky, yet again. "I'd hoped that I wouldn't need to adjust to this. I'm glad to see the sun, and the stars again after so long... but my body keeps expecting the constant darkness."

"Soon it'll be natural again" Noctis said, trying to reassure her-

-Iris gave a little smile, nodding.

"Hopefully soon, and not just for me" she breathed, sipping at her drink. "Still, I know there's a bunch of very confused children; some were born during eternal night, for various reasons. For them constant darkness was normal, just as daemons being everywhere was... they've never seen daylight before, or the actual night sky."

The way she spoke with heavy familiarity, along with the undertone of doing her best to care for/protect everyone- he made sure to take special note of those, feeling a lot as he jotted this down on his phone's app. After all, there's so much to do in the days to come, and he needed to be aware of every possible element as King- perhaps he'd make a point to speak to some of these children, to help assure them that everything is okay.

Though once they hear that he caused the daylight to come back, no doubt there'll be plenty of questions why...

"Yeah, I can only imagine how those kids are feeling right now" Noctis admitted, sincere; Iris looked at him. "And not just here in Lucis; it's no doubt the same all over the world. I'm holding onto hope that it is."

She nodded slowly, if still with a sad quality in her gaze- then she glanced down, and rested one hand on the table beside them. After a moment spent looking at this (and her), he moved his own hand and took hers, hoping to be assuring - it worked, as she did smile a little. Surprisingly though, rather than squeeze his hand back, she instead adjusted it so that her hand was lined up with his, before she intertwined her fingers with his. At first he was a bit surprised, as this was the first time they'd done this version... then he slowly, even gently returned the favor, and they stayed like that.

Her hand was warm, just like he was slowly feeling inside.

"Well, I never lost my hope that people survived on the other continents, somehow" Iris whispered, with a lot of emotions. "And I'm not going to stop hoping now."

Noctis nodded, giving a little smile that (hopefully) said it all.

After that, they said nothing more for awhile - he slowly looked out across Hammerhead again, sipping at his drink, and feeling Iris's fingers move against his (which he did his best to return). The place was still semi-walled up from before, with preparations to continue that work still ongoing, while over at the garage he saw Cindy's legs sticking out from underneath a car, with Prompto inside said car and apparently talking with her 'through' the open door.

Oh yeah...

"Iris?"

"Hmm?"

He looked at her again, semi-sheepish but intent all the same.

"...I think I'd finally like to know the meaning behind 'Pumpkin'" he ventured, a little knowing as he motioned toward Cindy and Prompto.

After briefly looking that way, Iris gave a small giggle, seeming more content. "Well apparently it's Cindy's nickname for Prompto, based off how red his face can turn sometimes" she said, a touch warmer. "When it slipped out, she actually seemed briefly embarrassed, a little. But not so much after-the-fact."

Then she leaned forward a bit. "Still, I think it's proof, Noct: _something_ official is going on between them" she whispered, winking.

Half-chuckling, Noctis rubbed his head with his free hand, briefly anyway. "Somehow, with all the time I missed, it doesn't surprise me" he said, if with a smile, glancing in Prompto's direction. "But I'm glad for him; he's been crushing on Cindy for forever."

"Yeah. Still, with you and me, Prompto and Cindy, Gladdy and his girlfriend, I think Ignis is the only one who hasn't found someone yet."

That surprised him: "Gladio has a girlfriend too?" he asked, curious.

"Well yeah, though it seems recent" Iris breathed softly, glancing down at their intertwined fingers. "'Last couple of years' recent, I mean. Though at first, I thought he and Aranea might have had a thing together."

Wow, clearly he needed to catch up on a lot- he's probably gonna be out-of-the-loop for at least a year, at this rate.

"But let me guess, she has no interest in romance?" he asked, slightly knowing again-

-she nodded, smirking slightly.

"Even worse than Cindy's high standards, if that's possible" she said, teasing. "Though despite that, she and Gladdy do work well together, and they often shared a drink as hunting partners. I just hope Gladdy's girlfriend wasn't jealous."

That got him to laugh a little, if thinking the big guy would be (and was) fine. In his mind, he tried to imagine Gladio with someone, but had difficulty figuring out the guy's preferences in looks alone - but if nothing else, she'd probably have to be strong, physically or personality-wise, as well as patient.

"Hopefully" Noctis answered, more easily now - perhaps he can meet her soon.

"Oh" Iris breathed then, gaze half-lidded as she looked around Hammerhead; he noticed this after a second. "You know something, Noct?"

"Yeah?"

"This moment right now... it's reminding me of when we were camping, before everything happened."

He slowly let out a breath, vividly remembering that night himself.

"Just that night near Galdin Quay, where I was glad that I got to go with you guys, to have what I thought would be some harmless adventuring" she continued, even more gentle. "And then of course, the talk we had near the shoreline."

Noctis gave a little 'mmh'; his heart was beating faster, adding to the warmth (and his nervousness).

"Where you confessed" he whispered, if gentle. "Were you- were you scared at all?"

Surprisingly, Iris gave a little head shake. "Nervous yeah, but not scared" she whispered, her thumb moving across his knuckles now. "With Gladdy as your brother, you tend to not get scared easily. And though it was hard in a way, I knew I needed to get it off my chest, even as I planned for nothing to change between us. ...Or at least, that _was_ my plan at the time."

"Heh, yeah" he breathed, knowing things are _quite_ different now.

When she looked at him, Iris had this mischievous little smile, and a playful glint in her eyes.

"You could at least say more than that, Noct" she said, teasing-

-and he half-chuckled in response, thinking that she hadn't changed at all in that regard, except maybe to be more forward with said teases. He looked at her for a little, again taking in the fact that she's grown in the ten years since, if not overly much.

"Well then... thank you, Iris."

Her smile was soft then, and this quality extended to her eyes. "For?"

A little half-smile, feeling the warmth slowly grow. "For always standing by me, and for loving me" Noctis managed to say, with only a small hitch. "And for, well everything else."

Iris gave a small hum. "That'll do, for now" she said, soft and teasing. "But you're welcome, Noct."

He did appreciate it, but he was a bit surprised that Iris wasn't trying to kiss him, despite how soft she sounded. When she kept playing with his fingers, and again sipped at her drink (as he's been doing), he ventured that she's purely enjoying the moment right now... and that kissing would probably come later, and a lot of it.

The thought made him a little nervous, but also fed into his slow-growing warmth here- Noctis looked at their intertwined hands for awhile.

He could definitely get used to this... and h-he intended to, even as he enjoyed the moment too.

* * *

 **With the Crystal gone, they'll definitely have less magic than they used to, though it probably won't be gone period. So salvaging from the empire's remains seemed only fitting, as well as practical - everything will take time to go back to a decent level, let alone a stable one, but they can handle it.**

 **Still, that about does it for the relationship of NoctisXIris in this fic. Anything more would probably require a separate fic, just to give proper attention and such :P Still, hoped you enjoyed.**


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